WELLINGTON CTY. – On any given weekday throughout the county, most motorists have seen a chrome yellow school buses driving up and down all roadways full of eager young students.
Cloes said the county OPP is reminding motorists and all drivers of the need for caution when coming upon those school buses. School students getting on and off of those buses rely on all drivers to obey the rules of the road and expect that when they cross the road, that drivers give them the right of way that the law states they must.
Cloes said, the Highway Traffic Act provides direction that whether on a city street, highway, or county road, and regardless of the speed limit and the number of lanes, motorists travelling in both directions must stop when approaching a stopped school bus with its upper red lights flashing.
A stop arm will swing out while passengers board or leave the bus.
(The only exception is on highways separated by a median, where traffic coming from the opposite direction is not required to stop).
Once all passengers have boarded, the stop arm will fold away.
Cloes advised drivers should not start moving until the red lights have stopped flashing and the bus begins to move.
The fine for disobeying that traffic law is $490 and six demerit points. That charge can be applied to either the driver or the car owner.
