Although today is the last day of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) North Bay Detachment local traffic initiative Start Safe, officers will continue throughout the school year closely monitoring the bus routes.
During the campaign, officers issued 25 Provincial Offence Notices (PON) for speeding (during bus hours), 2 PON's for fail to stop for school bus lights and one Summons for stunt driving.
On September 14, 2017, at 8:27 a. m., an officer was patrolling in front of St. Gregory Elementary School in Powassan when the officers attention was drawn to a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed. The vehicle was traveling at 60km over the posted speed limit in the school zone! The driver was stopped and charged with Stunt Driving contrary to section 172 of the Highway Traffic Act (HTA). His driver's licence was suspended for 7 days and his vehicle was impounded for 7 days. The driver was issued a Summons with a date to attend traffic court in North Bay in October.
On September 7, 2017, at 8:11 a.m., the OPP received a traffic complaint about a tractor-trailer hauling lumber that had failed to stop for the bus lights on Highway 17 east of North Bay. The red overhead bus lights were activated and the stop arm was out at the time. Officers located the vehicle and the driver was charged with Fail to Stop for School Bus contrary to section 175(11) of the HTA.
On September 12, 2017, at 3:35 p.m., an officer was following a bus on Highway 17 east. They were traveling eastbound when a westbound vehicle failed to stop for the school bus lights. The bus was stopped and the red overhead bus lights were activated. The driver was charged with Fail to Stop for School Bus contrary to section 175(11) of the HTA.
The OPP would like to issue a reminder to motorists that the stop arm of the bus does not have to be out; vehicles must stop for the bus lights when the red lights are active and the school bus has come to a stop.
The HTA section 175(11) states that: every driver or street car operator, when meeting on a highway, other than a highway with a median strip, a stopped school bus that has its overhead red signal-lights flashing, shall stop before reaching the bus and shall not proceed until the bus moves or the overhead red signal-lights have stopped flashing.
OPP ask motorists to please slow down on the highways and in school zones.
The safety of our children is at risk when vehicles are driving too fast in these zones.
