Ohio House Passes Bill Increasing School Bus Safety Penalties

Multiple initiatives and legislative efforts are underway to improve safety for children traveling to and from school. In Waterlooville, a new pedestrian and cycle path through Gauntlett Park is being constructed to provide safer, non-motorized access to Morelands Primary School, supported by local councils and community funds. Ohio has passed a bill increasing penalties for drivers illegally passing stopped school buses, introducing bus cameras, and allocating $10 million for safety upgrades following a fatal crash involving a school bus in 2023. In the UK, the road safety charity Brake is urging the government to lower default speed limits to 20mph in areas where children travel to school, citing statistics showing thousands of children are harmed annually on roads. Conversely, in New Zealand, a government mandate to raise speed limits on local roads, including near schools outside peak hours, has caused confusion and increased costs for local councils, which face restrictions on retaining lower speeds due to previous consultations citing school safety. Meanwhile, in Florida, ambiguity in school zone speed limit laws is leading to debates over when speeding tickets should be issued in school zones, reflecting challenges in enforcing school safety regulations consistently.