Chesterfield County is serious about keeping kids safe.
Officials with the county, the Chesterfield County Police Department and Chesterfield County Public Schools have launched an intensive campaign to get the message out to drivers that illegally passing stopped school buses with red lights flashing is not only dangerous, it could result in a ticket.
Drivers must stop for any school bus that is stopped with its red lights flashing and stop arm no matter from what direction they approach on a public highway or road, private road or school driveway. This applies to drivers traveling behind the bus, as well as drivers approaching the bus from the opposite lane of travel if there is no barrier between them and the bus. Drivers are not required to stop if they are traveling in the opposite lane of travel from the bus on a road with a median or barrier dividing it.
The campaign leverages social media to target drivers. This includes videos posted to the social media pages maintained by the county, county police and school system, as well as emails and voice messages to parents, messages on local radio, information in the county’s libraries and ads in local newspapers.
Drivers who fail to stop for school buses can be charged with reckless driving. Reckless driving is punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor.
School starts in Chesterfield County on Sept. 8.
