With a new school year less than a week away, drivers in the region can expect to see an added level of safety on school buses when the kids head back to class.
On July 1, a new provincial mandate came into effect that requires a warning light system on school buses across Ontario.
Up until that point, buses had four red lights on the front and four red lights on the back to warn drivers to stop. However, drivers will now see an eight-light amber and red lighting system.
"What that means is the [inward] lights on the bus are amber, and the exterior are red," explained Chatham-Kent Lambton Administrative School Services General Manager Kent Orr. "While drivers are approaching the bus, you're going to get an amber light warning flashing to tell you the bus is about to stop. Once the bus is stopped and you can no longer pass the bus, the lights will change to red."
Along with the new lights, buses will be equipped with new signage on the back, reiterating that drivers cannot pass once the red lights are flashing.
Orr said he's hopeful the new system will eliminate any confusion for motorists about when they should stop for a bus. He also said it will give bus drivers a better chance to warn motorists that they need to prepare to stop
"That becomes important on some of our higher speed roads where vehicles are approaching quicker," he said. "So, they get more advance notice that the bus is coming to a stop."
The eight-lamp system has been adopted in several other places across North America and Orr said there has long been a push to bring it to Ontario. He added that local bus operators have been working throughout the summer to implement the new system onto buses and get them ready to go for the start of the new school year next week.
According to Orr, there will be no change to the penalties associated with not stopping for a school bus while its lights are flashing.
"I try not to focus on the penalties, it's safety for the kids. That's what it's all about is making sure cars don't blow past buses that are stopped and put kids at risk," he said. "There are financial consequences, a driver's licence consequence and insurance implications. But, more importantly, we don't want to get any kids hurt."