Enforcement Campaign for School Bus Safety

The North Bay Police Service is conducting an enhanced enforcement campaign targeting drivers who do not stop for school buses.

During the last week of school before the winter break, the North Bay Police Service’s traffic officer will be accompanying school buses in town to catch motorists who do not follow the rules of the road and endanger students. Working in partnership with Stock Transportation, the North Bay Police Service’s traffic officer will monitor problem routes including Cassells Street, Front Street, Wallace Road, and the 600-900 blocks of Lakeshore Drive. The target of the campaign is drivers who do not stop for school buses that are picking up and dropping off students from school.

Under Section 175 of Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act, drivers must stop for school buses when their red signal lights are flashing. In 2022, school buses in Ontario added amber lights to warn drivers that the school bus is about to come to a stop. Red lights and the stop arm are activated when the school bus has fully stopped and opened its passenger door. Drivers must stop for a stopped school bus regardless of which direction they are travelling when they are on a road without a median. Drivers behind a school bus must stop at least 20 metres back.

First-time violators will face a minimum $490 fine and 6 demerit points upon conviction. A conviction can also lead to higher insurance rates. Even if the driver is not identified, the vehicle’s registered owner can still be charged with the same fine. Many school buses are now equipped with video surveillance to aid Police investigations. If a driver is convicted a second time within five years, the penalty increases to between $1,000 and $4,000, plus a victim surcharge, court costs, and 6 demerit points. Repeat offenders risk being jailed for up to 6 months. If fines are not paid, your drivers license can be suspended and you will not be able to renew your vehicle permit.

“The North Bay Police Service has previously run similar school bus safety campaigns and, unfortunately, several people were caught failing to stop for school buses,” said Deputy Chief Michael Daze of the North Bay Police Service. “We recognize that drivers may feel an urgency to get somewhere, but passing stopped school buses puts the lives of innocent children at risk. Nothing is urgent enough to be worth that. Driving is a privilege and every motorist must follow the rules of the road.”

How to Provide a Tip

If you do see someone driving dangerously in a Community Safety Zone or not stopping for a school bus, contact the North Bay Police by calling 9-1-1 in an emergency or calling the North Bay Police Service at 705-497-5555 and press 5 to speak with an officer. Information about problem areas in the city where motorists regularly violate the rules of the road can be sent via e-mail to nbpstraffic@northbaypolice.on.ca

Try to remember the following information, if you can, as it will help Police in finding the offender:

• The date and time of the incident;
• The vehicle’s make, model, colour and license plate number;
• Identifying information about the driver;
• The size of the school bus;
• Whether or not the school bus was stopped;
• If the bus had its upper red lights flashing or its stop sign arm extended;
• If passengers were boarding or leaving the school bus;
• If the vehicle passed from behind the school bus or if it was coming toward the bus in the opposite lane;
• Any other details like witness names, video or photographs of the event.