The OPP Aviation Services is assisting front line officers in the Orillia and Bracebridge areas with enforcement in relation to drivers not stopping for school buses.
The enforcement initiative will start on January 22, 2019. The OPP Helicopter will be in the air focusing on motorists who pass school buses with their lights activated; however, can also enforce speed and a variety of other aggressive driving offences. The Helicopter is equipped with a high tech camera that can view vehicles and their licence plates from a long distance, recording it for court purposes.
The fine for a first offence is up to $2,000 and demerit points and a second offence comes with a fine of up to $4,000 , demerit points and the possibility of jail time. Police only need to identify the vehicle, not the driver, when enforcing the infraction of a vehicle passing a stopped school bus with lights activated.
The OPP would like motorists to be safe at all times. Please be extra cautious when behind a school bus, our children’s lives depend on your safe and responsible decisions.
