How Strongsville is re-enforcing Ohio school bus laws.
After the tragedy in Indiana where three school children died after being hit by a car passing a school bus
Above is a podcast. It has the interviews of both Mark Fender, Strongville’s Chief of Police, and Cameron Ryba, superintendent of Strongsville City Schools.
They discuss how this solution came to fruition and how they plan to continue it in the future.
Strongsville is not the only police department in Ohio to take action against distracted drivers.
Chief Fender explained how the
“I don’t have numbers on the drivers that have been caught,” Fender said. “Not paying as much attention to that that I am to the attention that we are getting and watching first hand the evidence from the reports from our drivers saying that habits are now changing.”
Ryba explained the district was already working with the police and is still looking for more ways to protect the children.
“We already had a great relationship beforehand,” Ryba said. “We are now looking for a financially feasible option for video cameras on buses for the school district looking forward.”
In Tallmadge, police have started to follow school buses on their route to deter this problem. According to Channel 5, they have seen a dramatic decrease in illegal passings. It is unclear how many other communities have
Here is a graph to show when drivers are and are not allowed to pass buses. Remember, every time someone passes a bus illegally they are putting children at risk.
Chief Fender explained how Strongsville is more than a city.
“When people drive into our city, I refer to it as they have been invited into my house and as a guest of my house I have a responsibility to keep that person safe, have an enjoyable experience, and make sure they feel the presence of a positive experience when they leave.” Fender said.
