Keep children safe by reporting unsafe drivers

BRAMPTON, ON, Oct. 19 /CNW/ - Do you know what to do when a school bus is stopped and has its red lights flashing? Do you know it is illegal to pass that school bus? If you answered no, you're not alone.

So far this year, Peel Police have laid 32 charges against drivers for failing to stop for a school bus. Meanwhile, officers have received 98 complaints relating to school bus violations in Peel Region alone.

"The safety of our children has always been a priority to the men and women of Peel Police," said Robert Orr, Inspector, Peel Police. "We look forward to working with our community partners to ensure that drivers in the Region of Peel are aware of not only their legal obligations with respect to school buses, but also how this protects our children. While we remain ready to enforce the law, we hope we don't need to."

"Drivers can help keep children safe by doing two simple things," said Leslie Rocha, Community Relations Specialist, CAA South Central Ontario. "Stop every time you see a stopped school bus with red flashing lights and don't move until the red lights stop flashing and the bus driver begins to pull away."

The penalty for not stopping for a school bus is a fine of up to $2,000 and six demerit points.

"School Bus Safety Week is a good time to remind drivers of the importance of safety around schools and school buses," said Amrit Mangat, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Transportation. "We all share in the responsibility of ensuring our children get to and from school safe and sound."

If you spot a driver who doesn't stop for a school bus, safely pull over and jot down the following:

• Location, date and time
• Make, model, colour and license plate
• Size of the bus (small or large)
• Children boarding or exiting the bus
• Driver passed from the front or from behind the bus

CAA SCO is also issuing a challenge to the Ministry of Transportation, Peel Police officers and the media to test their driving skills around school buses in the DriveWise simulator.

For over 80 years, CAA's School Safety Patrol program has been keeping children safe as they travel to and from school. Today, more than 800,000 children in Ontario rely on school buses.

CAA South Central Ontario is a not-for-profit auto club offering insurance, travel, automotive care and roadside services. There are more than 1.8 million CAA members in South Central Ontario and 5 million members in Canada. We're more than Roadside Assistance. We're Life-side Assistance. Visit www.caasco.com.

For further information:

Media contact: Silvana Aceto, Media and PR Specialist, CAA SCO, [email protected], Office: [phone], Cell: [phone] or Jeff LeMoine, Internal/External PR Specialist, [email protected], Office: [phone], Cell: [phone].