State and local law enforcement agencies will be participating in overtime patrols to ensure that students are safe when traveling to and from school on the school bus.
Officers will be stationed along bus routes and in school zones where they will be on alert for stop arm violations, speeding vehicles, and reckless driving.
The overtime patrols are part of the state’s Stop Arm Violation Enforcement (SAVE) program and funded with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration grants administered by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.
According to the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, more than 2,700 drivers were cited for stop arm violations by Indiana law enforcement last year.
As part of this campaign, state and local officials will be calling on motorists to slow down, pay attention to the road and to never pass a bus that has its red lights flashing and stop arm extended. On highways divided by a physical barrier, such as a concrete wall or grassy median, only vehicles traveling in the same direction as the school bus are required to stop.
Disregarding a school bus stop arm is a Class A Infraction. Violators could pay a fine of up to $10,000, have their license suspended for up to 90 days for the first offense, or up to one year for the second offense.
