T-L Photo/ROBERT A. DEFRANK A St. Clairsville-Richland City School District bus drops off students Tuesday. It is National School Bus Safety Week, and motorists are advised to be cautious and follow the law to stop behind a school bus when its stop arm is extended.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — This is National School Bus Safety Week, and school officials are reminding motorists to be aware of school buses now and throughout the school year.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol will also be increasing enforcement efforts on school bus violations, such as passing a stopped school bus, school zone violations and other school bus or school zone-related activity.

According to the National Association for Pupil Transportation, this year’s theme is “1 Bus + 1 Driver = a BIG Impact on Education.”

Prior to stopping, school buses display yellow warning lights that signify the bus is about to come to a halt. Once a bus comes to a stop, red flashing lights and an extended stop sign arm are displayed. Motorists approaching a stopped school bus from either direction are required to stop at least 10 feet from the bus while the bus is receiving or discharging students. When a road is divided into four or more lanes, only traffic traveling in the same direction as the bus must stop. Drivers may not resume their travels until the bus resumes traveling.

According to Ohio Revised Code Section 4511.75, failure to stop for a school bus can result in a $500 fine and a suspension of one’s driver’s license.

Accidents involving buses are not unheard of in the local region. At the end of August, two buses– one from the Martins Ferry City School District and one from the Bellaire Local School District — were involved in a chain-reaction series of crashes on Interstate 70 eastbound near the Ohio Valley Mall, leaving several students with minor injuries. That accident was complicated by several factors including heavy rainfall, but authorities say safety and caution on everyone’s part can prevent tragedy.

Shadyside Local Schools Superintendent John Haswell, who is also a licensed bus driver along with high school principal John Poilek and athletic director John Triveri, said safety is at the front of their minds.

“We all drive, so we are very cognizant of school bus safety, much more than most,” Haswell said. “We are always aware. It doesn’t take School Bus Safety Week for us to realize how important every time somebody steps on that school bus, how important safety is and how much responsibility the drivers’ have,” he said. “Our maintenance transportation supervisor’s constantly in contact with our drivers, reminding them of things.

“You have to be conscious of your surroundings at all times. You have to be in your mirrors, looking around, darting, moving, making sure that you know what’s around you at all times,” he continued.

Other school leaders agreed.

“When the bus driver’s driving a bus, they have at their back anywhere from 40 to 65 kids behind them, so a bus driver’s job is very demanding. There’s a lot of stress, the behavior and the safety of the kids, along with making sure the motorists are looking out for the bus,” said Bridgeport Exempted Village School District Superintendent Brent Ripley, who also is a bus driver. “You really have to be very observant and use good judgment when you’re driving a school bus.”

Ripley said his district has provided information to students describing best practices for riding a bus. There have also been practice drills in front of the school, showing students the proper ways to board and disembark from a bus, including during evacuation drills. Best practices messages are also being sent out through the district app. These include explanations of why eating on the bus is not allowed, due to the risk of choking when the driver is unavailable to help.

But the behavior of other motorists is a key to keeping students safe.

“When you see big yellow on the road, and you see big yellow put that red stop light out, that means stop. There’s no ands, ifs or buts about that– you cannot run that light,” Haswell said. “It could cost somebody their life.”

“For motorists that are on the road, if they see a bus with the stop sign out and their flashers are blinking, don’t pass the bus. Err on the side of caution because we never know what’s occurring, what little child might be crossing in front of that bus or loading on that bus,” Ripley said.

“School buses remain the safest mode of transportation for students,” Gov. Mike DeWine said in a news release. “By focusing on school bus safety this week, we can re-emphasize the importance of how motorists, school bus drivers, and students can work together to ensure our students arrive safely to and from school each day.”

“We are committed to protecting our students who ride school transportation,” Col. Charles A. Jones of the highway patrol said in the same release. “Although drivers are required to stop for school buses loading or unloading passengers, children should also check both ways and proceed with caution when crossing the roadway.”

Since 2017, according to statistics from the state, there have been 6,434 crashes involving school buses in Ohio. Six fatal crashes took place during this time, killing six people and injuring 2,076. None of those killed was an occupant of a school bus.