Ontario school buses equipped with new lighting system to stop drivers this fall
School buses may be parked for the summer, but come fall, they will be equipped with a new lighting system to catch drivers' attention.
Ontario is the last province to get on board with the new amber-red warning lights for student safety.
"Drivers will now see an amber light which will give them a clear warning that a bus is about to stop," said school bus driver Owen Wass.
A red light will follow the amber light notifying drivers to stop and wait for the bus to let a student on or off.
It's estimated that 30,000 drivers illegally pass a school bus every day.
Kim Malkamaki with the Simcoe County Transportation Consortium said there have been "long-standing safety priorities" with school bus operators and consortia across Canada.
"This will basically align school buses in Ontario with the lighting requirements that are in use throughout the rest of Canada," Malkamaki noted.
Between September 2013 and the spring of 2018, 385 bus-related injuries were reported in Ontario. No deaths were reported during those five years.
However, in 2000, five-year-old Adam Ranger was struck and killed while getting off the bus in Mattawa, Ont. when a truck with a trailer tried to pass his stopped school bus. The truck swerved and missed the child, but the trailer did not.
Following his death, the Let's Remember Adam campaign was launched and has been instrumental in pushing for change.
Bill 246 came into effect on July 1, requiring school buses to be equipped with the amber-red dual lamp warning system by September.
Drivers who illegally pass a school bus face a hefty fine and six demerit points.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
Manitoba government tables bill to end ban on homegrown recreational cannabis
Manitoba is planning to lift its ban on the home growing of recreational cannabis.