Police in LaPorte and in Kosciusko County are among the 200 agencies ramping up enforcement this spring to protect students going to and from school. Over the next couple of months, officers will be positioned along bus stops and routes watching for stop-arm violations and unsafe driving behavior.

The overtime patrols are funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration through the state’s Stop Arm Violation Enforcement (SAVE) program, which was developed by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute in 2019.

High-visibility patrols will be conducted in the morning and afternoon along routes identified by local bus drivers and school transportation officials.

While officers will be focusing on stop-arm violations, they will also be on the lookout for any unsafe driving behavior such as speeding and distracted driving.

In Indiana, it’s against the law for motorists to pass a bus that’s stopped and has its red lights flashing and stop-arm extended. This applies to all roads, with one exception. Motorists who are on a highway that is divided by a barrier, such as a cable barrier, concrete wall or grassy median, are required to stop only if they are traveling in the same direction as the school bus.

Click here for a list of school bus safety tips.