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‘I don’t want to have my son hit or killed’: Rise in drivers failing to stop for bus triggers increased enforcement by police

April 27, 2023   ·   0 Comments

By Sam Odrowski

Dufferin County has seen an increase in school bus stop-related complaints, particularly since the start of the year.

Four charges have been laid under the Highway Traffic Act for drivers who refuse to stop for the school bus from Jan. 1 to April 24. Dufferin OPP issued two warnings during that time, and 17 complaints have come in.

“This is an increase from year’s past,” said Andrew Fines, community safety officer for Dufferin OPP, who added he’s unsure of what’s causing the uptick.

Chris Goulard, whose son rides the bus to high school from their home on Glengarry Road, said since the bus pick-up location changed from in front of their house to the intersection of Winterton Ct. and Spencer Ave., there’s been a few “close calls” for his kid. 

“I don’t want to have my son hit or killed,” Goulard remarked. 

Goulard’s son says on his way to high school he sees vehicles failing to stop for the bus in other areas of town.

“It’s getting more and more blatant and I don’t know what the excuse is,” he said.

Since late March, Dufferin OPP has been conducting extra patrols during school hours. Officers were stationed at the Winterton Ct./Spencer Ave. intersection to watch for infractions earlier this week.

As a result of the rise in drivers failing to stop for the school bus, Goulard has begun monitoring his son’s bus stop and capturing video of individuals committing infractions.

By sending videos to the OPP where he identifies the driver and license plate of people who fail to stop for the school bus, he’s gotten two people charged. 

Installing dashcams on buses is a potential deterrent for those who fail to stop for the school bus that Goulard would like to see enacted locally. Those who fail to stop would be caught on the dashcam and subsequently charged by police.

The town’s Police Services Board is currently discussing this.

Drivers who fail to stop for a school bus are charged $490 and receive six demerit points on their license upon conviction.

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