**KIRKLAND LAKE OPP NEWS RELEASE**

The Kirkland Lake Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) would like to remind the public that students are returning to school after being on holidays and that it is important for drivers to be extra vigilant and to pay attention to the flashing red lights and other safety equipment used on buses. 

It is illegal to fail to stop for a stopped school bus that has its overhead red signal lights flashing. For a first time offence, you can be fined from $400 to $2,000 and have six demerit points added to your licence. In Ontario, school-bus drivers and other witnesses can report vehicles that have illegally passed a school bus. If you are the vehicle’s registered owner, these same fines may be applied to you. 

The safety of our children is a shared responsibility. Everyone using our roadways needs to exercise vigilance, patience and understanding in order to reach our ultimate goal of getting students to and from school safely all year.

For further information on school bus safety, please visit: http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/school-bus-safety.shtml

Filed under: Local News