To ensure students safety when travelling to and from school, local law enforcement officers of Big Rapids and across the state of Michigan will be ramping up patrol as part of a safety initiative looking for drivers illegally passing school buses.

"Operation Safe Stop" is an enforcement campaign that will be conducted during School Bus Safety Week, which begins Oct. 16 and ends Oct. 20. Particpating law enforcement agencies will work with their local school districts provide education and enforcement for their communities.

According to the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center, or CJIC, there were 1,041 crashes involving school buses in Michigan including 81 occuring at bus stops in 2022. From those 81, there were 38 serious injuries and even one fatality.

A one-day survey conducted by Michigan school bus drivers in May reported 864 times that a motorist passed a school bus illegally.

"Every time drivers ignore the flashing lights or stop arm of a bus, they are putting a student's life in danger," Big Rapids Department of Public Safety Chief Danielle Haynes said. "'Operation Safe Stop' will help keep students safe and will educate drivers on how to safely share the road with school buses."

Drivers should prepare to stop when they see the overhead flashing yellow lights of a school bus and stop at least 20 feet away from a bus when the overhead lights are red.

Drivers who pass a bus that is stopped may be charge with civil infractions carrying a fine up to $500. If an injury occurs during the infraction, the driver faces a misdemeanor charge and fine up to $1,000 and even a year in jail. If the injury causes death, the driver is subject to a felony with a fine up to $7,500 and up to 15 years in jail.

Accroding to the CJIC, the majority of school bus-involved crashes occured between 6:00 A.M. and 8:59 A.M. October had the highest number of wrecks with 136.

For more information about "Operation Safe Stop" and school bus safety, visit www.Michigan.gov/SchoolBusSafety.