Drivers passing stopped school buses skyrocketing in Brunswick
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - 19 News has uncovered a troubling trend in Brunswick with drivers passing stopped school buses multiple times a week.
Drivers along major roads and local roads ignoring stopped buses.
Pearl Road is a common spot for the dangerous violation.
According to Brunswick Police, when a road has three lanes or fewer, drivers must stop in both directions when a school bus is stopped with its stop sign out.
“I don’t think anybody wants to go through the ordeal of striking a kid and injuring a kid because they weren’t following the laws with the with the bus, with the red lights on,” says Sgt. Michael Matheis of the Brunswick Police Department.
Matheis says he’s never seen this number of violations which are coming in at a rate of four to five a week.
The numbers compared to last year are alarming.
Last school year there were a total of 16 incidents. So far this school year, there’s been 50.
Thankfully, no children have been hurt, but that’s a gamble no one wants to take.
The penalty carries a maximum of a $500 fine and drivers could lose their license for up to six months.
The police department says the school year started off fine, but in the last few months, there’s been a big increase in violations.
The Brunswick School District sent us a statement saying:
“I’m deeply concerned about reports from our transportation department regarding the increasing number of motorists failing to stop for our school buses with activated red lights and extended stop arms. The safety of Brunswick’s students is our highest priority, and these violations put children at serious risk during what should be routine travel to and from school. I urge all community members to refresh their understanding of Ohio’s school bus stopping laws and always prioritize student safety. Brunswick City School District bus drivers work diligently each day to transport students safely, and they deserve our community’s full cooperation. I’m grateful to the Brunswick and Brunswick Hills Police Departments for their partnership in addressing this issue through increased enforcement, but ultimately, protecting our students is a shared responsibility that requires commitment from every driver in our community.”
Brunswick Police say they are also concerned about drivers’ failure to heed stopped buses on small neighborhood roads because students often cross the entire width of the road there, putting them at greater risk for an accident.
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