With students preparing to head back to the classroom, the Ohio State Highway Patrol is reminding motorists to use extra caution around school buses and follow Ohio’s school bus safety laws. The agency is also encouraging school districts to make sure their buses are inspected and ready for the new school year.
The following information is from a press release issued by the Ohio State Highway Patrol:
“As a new school year approaches, the Ohio State Highway Patrol is reminding drivers to stay alert around school buses and obey all traffic laws to help keep students safe. The Patrol is also encouraging school districts to ensure their buses are up to date on required inspections before students return to class.
Governor Mike DeWine said every student deserves a safe ride to and from school and reminded motorists to eliminate distractions, watch for school buses and follow posted speed limits.
Since 2021, there have been 7,179 crashes involving school buses on Ohio roadways. Six of those crashes were fatal, resulting in six deaths, including one school-aged student.
The Patrol reminds drivers that when a school bus is stopped with its red lights flashing and stop arm extended, vehicles traveling in both directions on two-lane roads and roads with a center turn lane must stop at least 10 feet from the bus. On roads with four or more lanes or divided highways, only traffic traveling in the same direction as the bus is required to stop, while oncoming traffic may proceed with caution. Drivers must remain stopped until the bus begins moving again or the driver signals it is safe to continue.
Approximately 800,000 Ohio students ride school buses each day. To help keep those students safe, the Ohio State Highway Patrol conducts two inspections of every school bus each year, even though state law requires only one. In 2025, the Patrol’s Licensing and Commercial Standards Section completed 39,488 school bus inspections, identifying and correcting mechanical issues before they could become safety hazards.
Colonel Charles A. Jones, superintendent of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, said the inspection process begins long before students step onto a bus because protecting Ohio’s children remains the agency’s top priority.
The Patrol also encourages the public to safely call #677 to report reckless or impaired drivers and suspected drug activity.”
