Keeping Your Students Safe as Local Schools Return

By: Corbin Lingenfelter, News Director

Dubois Co. - Schools across Dubois County will soon begin their 2022-23 academic years.

Sheriff Tom Kleinhelter with the Dubois County Sheriff’s office is reminding parents, students and members of the community the importance of being aware of posted speed limits and bus stops.

“Couple of things the public needs to know are with school starting between the hours seven (a.m.) and eight (a.m.) and three (p.m.) and four (p.m.) be prepared. There will be school buses on the road there’s going to be extra traffic on the road with kids getting to school who are able to drive. So if you know you need to go somewhere between those times, give a little extra time. Also be aware of the school bus safety arms, the stop arms. The safety arms are the same as a traffic light. So when you see flashing yellow, we all know what flashing yellow means, it means stop and don’t go through.”

There are different rules for stopping at a school bus depending on the style of roadway you travel on.

  • BOTH LANES stop on a two lane roadway
  • ALL LANES stop on a multi-lane roadway with NO barrier
  • VEHICLES BEHIND the bus must stop WITH a grassy or concrete barrier.

If you do run through a school bus stop arm, you could face anywhere from a fine of $141 to a misdemeanor charge for reckless driving.

In the city of Jasper, the Jasper Police Department last school year cited 78 people with stop arm violations and two others with reckless driving.

Sheriff Kleinhelter also wants to remind parents to tell their students who walk to school to be safe when coming up to a street.

“Parents need to make sure their children know to cross at a crosswalk, do not cross in the middle of the street. Get to the corners and cross and the traffic and be aware there’s more movement out there between the seven and eight (a.m.) hours and the three and four p.m. hours.”

The Indiana State Police, Jasper District, offered the following tips as well for those waiting at the bus stop and those who drive themselves to classes.

School Bus Safety Tips

  • Make it a habit of arriving at the bus stop at least five minutes before the scheduled arrival of the bus.
  • Make sure your child stays out of the street and avoids excessive horseplay while waiting for the school bus.
  • Be sure the bus comes to a complete stop before getting on or off.
  • When riding the bus, make sure your child understands they must remain seated and keep their head and arms inside the bus at all times.
  • Do not shout or distract the driver.
  • Always listen to the instructions of the bus driver.

Student Driver Safety Tips

  • NO cell phones while driving.
  • NO extra passengers.
  • NO speeding.
  • NO driving or riding without a seatbelt.

All four districts return on Wednesday, August 10th.