As Summer comes to a close, it’s time for the children in Greene County to head back to school. That means, once again, school buses and school bus stops will be a part of the daily commute for all of us.

With school starting, Prosecutor Holtsclaw wanted to take a moment to remind everyone to slow down around school buses and school bus stops and to stop when the school bus stop-arm is extended and the red lights are flashing. Unfortunately, school bus stop-arm violations are all too common in Indiana and can lead to fatal results.

Last April, the Indiana Department of Education did a one-day survey with thousands of bus drivers from across the state participating. For one day, 6,665 bus drivers from 195 school districts took part in an observational survey where the drivers counted stop-arm violations throughout the day. In just one day, the drivers recorded 2,041 violations.

Ignoring school bus stop-arms is not only against the law, it can be deadly. Several school age children lost their lives during the 2021-22 school year due to negligent and reckless drivers.

“There’s no excuse for ignoring school bus stop-arms,” said Prosecutor Holtsclaw. “For kids to learn and grow, they must be able to get to school safely. Slow down and stop when you see buses on the road. Our office pledges to prosecute violators that are reported and investigated.”

Disregarding a school bus stop-arm is a Class A Infraction, which could result in fines and a license suspension, and could impact costs of insurance. If a driver is charged with recklessly passing a stop-arm, it’s a Class A Misdemeanor, which could result in up to one year in jail and a $5,000 fine. Stiffer punishment is permitted if injury or death occur as a result of the reckless passing.