As students head back to the classroom, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office reminds motorists to stop for school buses or face the consequences.
Over the next couple of weeks, officers will be increasing patrols to prevent stop-arm violations, speeding, and other forms of reckless driving around school buses and in school zones. The department joins more than 200 police agencies across the state for the back-to-school Stop Arm Violation Enforcement campaign—better known as SAVE.
Drivers should slow down and prepare to stop when the overhead lights on a school bus are flashing yellow. Once the lights turn red and the stop arm extends, drivers are required to stop on all roads, with one exception. On highways divided by a physical barrier, such as a concrete wall or grassy median, only vehicles traveling in the same direction as the school bus are required to stop.
School buses are equipped with on-board stop arm cameras.
Disregarding a school bus stop arm is a Class A infraction. Violators could pay a fine of up to $10,000, have their license suspended for up to 90 days for the first offense and up to one year for the second offense.
