Minimum $500 fine for passing stopped school bus considered in Avon Lake

AVON LAKE — What was once the maximum fine a driver could receive for passing a stopped school bus in Avon Lake could soon be the minimum. Ohio law requires motorists to stop at least 10 feet away from school buses with their red flashing lights on and stop sign extended on roads with fewer than four lanes. On highways with four or more lanes, only drivers going the same direction as the bus must stop. City Council is considering legislation that would establish a minimum fine of $500 for violating the law. The proposal is just one of several steps the city and school district have taken in recent years to improve bus safety for students. In 2019, Council approved legislation that increased the maximum fine for passing a stopped school bus from $500 to $750, and even included the possibility of jail time. Also in 2019, Avon Lake Schools purchased two buses with seat belts to replace two retiring buses in the district's fleet. Last year, the city incorporated $40,000 into its budget to help the schools purchase interior and exterior cameras for all its buses. "When City Council took on this topic a couple of years ago, it was the intention, I believe, of City Council and the Safety Committee to have some of the toughest school bus passing laws in the area, if not the entire state," said Councilman David Kos, 4th Ward. "We made some big steps in that area." But one potential oversight that has not yet been addressed is establishing a minimum fine for passing a stopped school bus, Kos told members of City Council at a Collective Committee meeting Monday evening. Having a minimum fine for an offense is not unusual, he said, adding that a common example is for operating a vehicle under the influence violations. He said he spoke with city Law Director Gary Ebert and City Prosecutor John Reulbach about the proposal, "and they had no objections to this and supported the idea." The legislation, which received approval from the Safety Committee prior to its summer recess, will be brought before Council at its next meeting, Kos said. He intends to ask for passage after its first reading. Contact Dylan Reynolds at (440) 329-7123 or dreynolds@chroniclet.com. Follow him on Twitter @drey1357.