{"id":209164,"date":"2026-08-22T00:20:58","date_gmt":"2026-08-22T05:20:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/?p=209164"},"modified":"2026-08-22T00:21:26","modified_gmt":"2026-08-22T05:21:26","slug":"back-to-school-means-focus-is-on-school-bus-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/2026\/08\/22\/back-to-school-means-focus-is-on-school-bus-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"Back-to-school means focus is on school bus safety"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"550\" height=\"367\" src=\"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/VWCS-bus-2024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-182541\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>VW independent staff\/submitted information<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>COLUMBUS &#8212; With students across Ohio returning to classrooms, the Ohio Traffic Safety Office is urging all drivers to make safety their top priority during back-to-school season. OTSO is highlighting two statewide education efforts: the Stop Means Stop school bus safety campaign and Buckle Up with Brutus, Ohio\u2019s child passenger safety program for elementary-aged students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Stop Means Stop<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>OTSO\u2019s\u00a0<em>Stop Means Stop<\/em>\u00a0campaign reinforces one of Ohio\u2019s most critical traffic safety laws \u2013 drivers must stop for school buses when they are picking up or dropping off students. This public awareness initiative was launched in 2024, following a recommendation from Governor Mike DeWine\u2019s School Bus Safety Working Group. Under this initiative, OTSO provides schools, law enforcement agencies, and community partners with posters, fact sheets, rack cards, social media materials, and an educational video to help strengthen safety messaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<p>Data from the Ohio State Highway Patrol shows the need for continued awareness:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In 2025, the Highway Patrol issued 879 citations to drivers for illegally passing a stopped school bus \u2013 a six percent decline from 2024.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There have been 6,414 traffic crashes involving school buses on Ohio\u2019s roadways since 2021, six of which were fatal. Those six fatal crashes resulted in the deaths of six individuals, with one being a school-aged student.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In 2025, there were 17 fatal and serious-injury crashes involving a school bus \u2013 up from 14 the year before.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>85 percent of fatal and serious-injury crashes involving school buses are caused by other drivers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>As buses return to neighborhoods, OTSO reminds all drivers to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Slow down in school zones.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Never drive distracted and watch for children approaching or leaving bus stops.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Stop Means Stop when a school bus activates its red lights and stop arm. This applies to all vehicles traveling in both directions on two-lane roads and roads with a center turning lane.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Most school buses are now equipped with cameras, making it easier to cite people who pass buses while they\u2019re stopped. A citation means a mandatory court appearance and a conviction carries a fine of between $250-$1,000 for first offenders. Repeat offenders face fines up to $2,000, plus mandatory safety courses and license suspensions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Educational resources and the full&nbsp;<em>Stop Means Stop<\/em>&nbsp;campaign toolkit for communities are available on OTSO\u2019s website here:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/urldefense.proofpoint.com\/v2\/url?u=https-3A__links-2D1.govdelivery.com_CL0_https-3A-252F-252Fotso.ohio.gov-252Fresources-252Fschool-2Dbus-2Dsafety_1_010001a01f62b4be-2D606cd750-2D0fc7-2D4938-2Dac8f-2D991460dcdbb5-2D000000_oHRhzba4tzo3YJQ8FcZM1wIWxFRB7uXqSWHFaBxrWH0-3D452&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&amp;r=O3fGuofybDt3kRix3jqI2inH1n8c99skhVdzaCHfmjg&amp;m=NNkN25Q7yIyPmZ7JevlETn92eWnR_pVSqnYZwWyUGChhHQQImEGJ41fOv5yLh3Va&amp;s=D1Npi79HO6wnn85haEJf0Z9d4Hltkn27HTA9EbMWkxE&amp;e=\">School Bus Safety | Ohio Traffic Safety Office<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Buckle Up with Brutus<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>OTSO is also promoting its Buckle Up with Brutus program, a statewide child passenger safety initiative designed for second-and-third-grade students and their families. The program teaches the importance of wearing seat belts, using booster seats, and ensuring children ride in the correct seats for their age and size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Developed in partnership with Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) and The Ohio State University,&nbsp;<em>Buckle Up with Brutus<\/em>&nbsp;launched statewide during the 2024-2025 school year. Child passenger safety remains critical:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 46 percent of child safety seats are misused, often due to the wrong seat type or improper installation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u00a067 percent percent of child passengers (under age 13) killed in Ohio in 2025 were unrestrained.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Eight children were killed and 53 others were seriously injured in Ohio last year due to not being properly restrained.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Families can find child passenger safety guidance, including seat-type recommendations and installation tips at&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/urldefense.proofpoint.com\/v2\/url?u=https-3A__links-2D1.govdelivery.com_CL0_http-3A-252F-252Fwww.buckleup.ohio.gov-252F_1_010001a01f62b4be-2D606cd750-2D0fc7-2D4938-2Dac8f-2D991460dcdbb5-2D000000_qZYpAllCCcuEOkkICoArElsBGwBtBkyt-2DkqXWJwjNKs-3D452&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&amp;r=O3fGuofybDt3kRix3jqI2inH1n8c99skhVdzaCHfmjg&amp;m=NNkN25Q7yIyPmZ7JevlETn92eWnR_pVSqnYZwWyUGChhHQQImEGJ41fOv5yLh3Va&amp;s=xqOXeKDNBwOfjrwa5Z-Q-55lYfGz8HJGE7OsFwcOMLI&amp;e=\">http:\/\/www.Buckleup.ohio.gov<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Buckle Up with Brutus<\/em>&nbsp;uses fun, age-appropriate lessons, interactive activities, and the popular \u201cBrutus\u2019 Seat Belt Boogie\u201d music video to teach children lifelong seat belt habits. The program helps kids understand when they need a booster seat, why everyone under age 13 should ride in the back seat, and how buckling up protects them in a crash \u2013 all while engaging families by sending safety messages home. This initiative has already reached more than 11,500 students across 118 schools and 47 counties, with OTSO providing free curriculum materials and reimbursement to presenters to support local traffic safety education.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>VW independent staff\/submitted information COLUMBUS &#8212; With students across Ohio returning to classrooms, the Ohio Traffic Safety Office is urging all drivers to make safety their top priority during back-to-school season. OTSO is highlighting two statewide education efforts: the Stop Means Stop school bus safety campaign and Buckle Up with Brutus, Ohio\u2019s child passenger safety [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-209164","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-topstory"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-29 18:40:51","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/209164","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=209164"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/209164\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":209167,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/209164\/revisions\/209167"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=209164"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=209164"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=209164"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}