Ohio State Highway Patrol Promotes School Bus Safety

ZANESVILLE, Ohio- The Ohio State Highway Patrol is promoting school bus safety with children heading back to the classroom this month. 

Lieutenant Russell Pasqualetti told us what people should prepare for. 

“Leave a little bit earlier, expect to see those buses on the road. When you do encounter a school bus and it’s making a stop you’ll see the amber lights come on. At that point, it’s just like a traffic light, you see the yellow, the amber, start slowing down, start preparing to stop. That means there are children present,” he said.

One of the state highway patrol’s goals is to always follow the school buses and make their presence known. There are cameras on their cars and the buses to record any violation. 

“It’s about learning the new routes, learning where the buses are, possibly leaving 5-10 minutes earlier, adjust your route and you can still get to work on time and still get to where you need to be. And you don’t need to become frustrated or try to pass that stopped school bus,” he explained.  

Lieutenant Pasqualetti said that the penalty and fines are more severe because this is about keeping the children safe.