Columbus, Ohio – As students return to classrooms and buses resume their daily routes, the Ohio Traffic Safety Office (OTSO) is launching a renewed public‑awareness push called “Stop Means Stop.” The campaign, which began in 2024 after a recommendation from Governor Mike DeWine’s School Bus Safety Working Group, aims to reinforce Ohio’s longstanding law that requires drivers to stop when a school bus is picking up or dropping off children.
Why the reminder matters
Data from the Ohio State Highway Patrol shows that illegal passing of stopped school buses remains a safety concern. In 2025, troopers issued 879 citations for drivers who passed a stopped bus illegally—a 6% drop from the previous year but still a significant number. Since 2021, Ohio has recorded 6,414 traffic crashes involving school buses on state roadways, including six fatal crashes that claimed six lives, one of them a school‑aged student.
Serious‑injury crashes still on the rise
The most severe incidents continue to involve other motorists. OTSO reports that 85% of fatal and serious‑injury crashes involving school buses are caused by drivers who fail to stop. In 2025, Ohio saw 17 fatal or serious‑injury crashes involving school buses, up from 14 the year before.
What the campaign provides
OTSO is distributing a suite of educational materials to schools, law‑enforcement agencies, and community groups. The package includes posters, fact sheets, rack cards, social‑media graphics, and an instructional video designed to remind drivers of the legal requirement and the safety rationale behind it. The materials stress that the stop requirement applies to vehicles traveling in both directions on two‑lane roads and on roads with a center turning lane.
Key safety reminders for drivers
- When a school bus activates its red warning lights and extends the stop arm, drivers must come to a complete stop.
- Remain alert for children walking toward or away from a bus stop, especially in school zones.
- Avoid distractions such as mobile devices while driving near school buses.
- Slow down in designated school zones and be prepared for children to cross the roadway unexpectedly.
OTSO emphasizes that compliance is about more than avoiding a citation; it protects children who are boarding or alighting from the bus, moments that are especially vulnerable to an approaching vehicle.
Looking ahead
With school transportation activity increasing statewide, the agency urges motorists to make school‑bus safety a routine part of their daily driving habits. “Slow down, stay focused, and when the stop arm is out, stop means stop,” said an OTSO spokesperson. The campaign’s timing aligns with the start of the new school year, a period when traffic volumes rise and the risk of illegal passing can increase.
Ohio drivers are encouraged to review the campaign’s resources, which are available online and through local schools and law‑enforcement offices, to help keep children safe on the road.
Original reporting: WOWO News/Talk (Fort Wayne) — read the source article.
