School’s back on Tuesday: Give them a brake
MTO offers reminder of the rules of the road
When the kids head back to school Tuesday, they bring buses and crossing guards back with them.
So, it’s important to know the rules of the road when it comes to school buses and crossings.
Here’s a reminder of the laws, according to the Ministry of Transportation.
When driving where this isn’t a median, drivers travelling in both directions must stop for a stopped bus with red lights flashing. Vehicles behind the bus must be 200 metres back.
If there is a median, traffic coming from the opposite direction doesn’t have to stop.
Anyone who fails to stop could be fined up between $400 and $2,000 and lose up to six demerit points.
Vehicle owners can be charged if their vehicle illegally passes a stopped bus, even if they weren’t driving. A description of the vehicle, along with its licence plate, is all that’s needed.
That said, if someone wants to report a driver for failing to stop, they can call 911 or go to the city police station or Peterborough County OPP detachment.
The person reporting the incident will need to know the date and time it happened and be able to provide as much info about the vehicle as possible, such as make, model, colour, licence plate number and who was driving.
They’ll also need to say where they saw the bus stopped and what was happening at the time regarding the bus, child and driver.
When it comes to crossing guards, drivers, including cyclists, must stop
and yield the entire roadway at school crossings.
Only when pedestrians and school crossing guards have crossed and are safely on the sidewalk can drivers and cyclists proceed.
Failing to yield at a crossing could cost the driver up to $1,000 and four demerit points under tougher penalties that took effect Saturday.
Before that, the penalty was as much as $500 and three demerit points.
Tougher penalties also took effect Saturday for drivers convicted of careless driving causing bodily harm or death.
They now face up to two years in jail, a driver’s licence suspension of up to five years, fines ranging from $2,000 to $5,000 and the loss of six demerit points.