INDIANAPOLIS — As students prepare to go back to school, more than 200 police agencies throughout Indiana are getting ready to increase patrols.
Starting as early as next week, officers will be out in greater numbers, looking for drivers who pass a school bus when it's stopped, has its red lights flashing and stop arm extended. In addition to stop arm violations, officers will be watching for drivers who are driving dangerously along school bus stops and in school zones.
“We’re entering back-to-school season in Indiana, which means motorists need to watch for buses and drive cautiously at all times,” Governor Eric Holcomb said. “School buses remain the safest mode of transportation for students, and we need everyone’s help to keep it that way.”
This is all part of the state’s Stop Arm Violation Enforcement (SAVE) program, which is scheduled to last until mid-September.
In the spring, officers participating in the SAVE blitz issued more than 5,600 citations and 1,700 warnings. Of the citations, 251 were for stop arm violations, 309 for texting while driving and nearly 1,900 were for speeding.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the greatest risk to a student isn’t riding a bus, but approaching or leaving one. So Holcomb and state police agencies are urging drivers to slow down, put away the distractions and watch for buses at all times.
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