Trending
WEIRTON -- With school back in session, area law enforcement agencies are urging drivers to stay vigilant for students waiting at bus stops or walking to school.
Brooke County students return to the classroom today, with Hancock County Schools beginning the school year Monday.
"We would also like to remind motorists that laws for passing a stopped school bus vary in each state," Weirton Police Chief Charlie Kush said, noting regulations under West Virginia Code 17C-12-7 that make it illegal to pass a school bus in either direction when it is picking up or dropping off students. "This includes every street in the City of Weirton as well as Main Street, Cove Road and Pennsylvania Avenue. Unless there is a physical barrier separating the lanes of travel, you must stop for school buses when their warning lights are activated."
Under the code, violations are considered misdemeanors, with potential penalties of $500 to $1,000 for a first offense or up to six months in jail. Second offenses can result in fines of $1,000 to $1,500 or jail time. Three or more offenses could result in jail time and fines of $2,000.
Violators, upon conviction, also face a mandatory suspension of their driver's license.
"Extra patrols will be conducted to ensure the safety of students at these bus stops," Kush said, noting that speed patrols also will be conducted in school zones where limits are reduced to 15 mph during established hours.
Those zones include the area of Pennsylvania Avenue near Weirton Elementary School.