When approaching a yellow school bus that has the red lights and stop sign activated, all drivers must stop their vehicles.

Vehicles must stop before reaching the bus and not proceed until the bus moves or the overhead signal lights have stopped flashing.

Under the Highway Traffic Act of Ontario, the charge is considered a serious offence as children’s lives can be threatened where vehicles do not stop.

Owners can be charged where their vehicle is observed driving pass a school bus with the stop signals activated.

Where the vehicle is observed the police officer completes a provincial offences notice (traffic ticket) and the ticket is mailed to the registered address.

The ticket is a fine only, with no demerit points or insurance implications.

The ticket goes against the vehicle, like a parking ticket, not against the driver.

Disobey school bus tickets will dramatically affect insurance rates for all drivers. The ticket is considered a major insurance violation, and can affect insurance rates for 3 years.

Novice Drivers

Where a novice driver (G1 and G2 licence holders) is convicted of a school bus ticket their licence will be suspended for 30 days.

The licence is suspended due to accumulating more than 4 demerit points under the novice driver licence conditions, as the ticket has 6 demerit points.

The effect of a conviction and licence suspension will put most novice drivers into high risk insurance rates, as two lines or convictions will appear on the driving abstract.

The insurance company finds out about the ticket by:

• insurance company contacts
  • the Ministry of Transportation and
  • checks the drivers abstract, or
• the driver calls and
  • tells the insurance company about the ticket

Each insurance company is a private company with their own set of rules and standards.

The penalties for failing to stop for a school bus include:

• fine of $490.00
• 6 demerit points
• insurance increases

Convictions for school bus tickets will increase insurance rates for 3 years, while on the driving record.

The provincial government adds a victim fine surcharge (VFS) to every non-parking fine imposed under the Provincial Offences Act, the money:

• is deposited into a special fund to help victims of crime
• amount of the VFS is usually 20 per cent of the fine
  • for example, a $100 fine would result in a $20 surcharge
• fines over $1,000 carry a surcharge of 25 per cent

Police officers can issue a traffic ticket with either a fine or by using a summons to appear in court.

The police officer may issue the summons to appear where the incident is of a serious nature, or where the officer is requesting a higher fine. The summons to appear requires the driver to appear in court before a judge. before the court, .

If a police officer issues a summons to appear, the driver or their legal representative must appear before the Justice on the date specified by the officer.

Where they do not appear, the judge can issue a court order requiring the police to arrest the driver and bring them before the court.

Once the driver is convicted of a traffic ticket, the court sends a notice to the Ministry of Transportation.

Upon receiving the record of conviction from the court the Ministry of Transportation then adds the conviction to the driving record.

Driving abstracts are available to anyone who has the drivers licence number for a fee payable to the Ministry of Transportation.

School bus tickets have 6 demerit points.

The demerit points stay on the driving record/abstract for 2 years from the date of offence. Convictions stay on the driving record for 3 years from the date of conviction.

• G1 and G2 drivers are suspended for
  • any ticket with 4 or more demerit points
  • accumulating 6 demerit points
• G drivers are suspended for
  • accumulating 15 demerit points
  • at 8 points drivers may be required to attend a Demerit Point Interview

Where a driver accumulates 9 or more demerit points they maybe required to attend a demerit point interview with the Ministry of Transportation.

If you have to attend an interview, you will get a letter (Notice of Interview) to notify you of the time, date and location of the meeting. If you do not attend, your licence could be suspended.

The fee for a demerit point interview is $50 and must be paid in person at any ServiceOntario Centre.

You can pay the fee when you receive the Notice of Interview or within 10 business days of attending the interview.

Failure to pay the interview fee will result in the cancellation of your driver’s licence.

Convictions stay on the driving record for 3 years from the conviction date.  Demerit points stay on the driving record for 2 years from the date of offence.

Demerit points do not affect insurance rates, insurance companies only look at convictions and licence suspensions to base rates upon.

Where a G1 driver receives any conviction on their record the insurance rates will be dramatically affected.

Class G drivers are not for failing to stop for a school bus.

Novice drivers (G1 and G2 drivers) are suspended if they are convicted for failing to stop for a school bus.

The suspension is for 30 days for exceeding the demerit point limitations for novice drivers.

Unpaid fines

Drivers maybe suspended where any fine goes into default.

Where a drivers licence is suspended for an unpaid fine, the licence will be suspended until the payment is made to the court.

The reinstatement fee is $281.00

Demerit Point Suspensions

The accumulation of demerit points can result in a licence suspension.

• Class G licences receive a
  • drivers licence interview at 8 points
• Class G licences are suspended at 15 demerits
• Class G1 and G2 Drivers are suspended for
  • accumulating 6 demerit points
• Class G1 and G2 Drivers are suspended for
  • any one ticket with 4 or more demerit points

Highway Traffic Act 175 (1)

In this section,

“children” means,

(a) persons under the age of eighteen, and

(b) in the case where a school bus is being operated by or under a contract with a school board or other authority in charge of a school for the transportation of children to or from school, includes students of the school;

“developmental disability” means a condition of mental impairment, present or occurring during a person’s formative years, that is associated with limitations in adaptive behaviour;

“school” does not include a post-secondary school educational institution; (“école”)

“school bus” means a bus that,

(a) is painted chrome yellow, and

(b) displays on the front and rear thereof the words “school bus” and on the rear thereof the words “do not pass when signals flashing”.

Meaning of “bus”

(2) For the purposes of subsection (3), a motor vehicle shall be deemed to be a bus if it is or has been operated under the authority of a permit for which a bus registration or validation fee was paid in any jurisdiction.

Only school buses to be painted chrome yellow
(3) No part of a bus, except a bus that at any time during its current validation period is used to transport children or to transport adults who have developmental disabilities, shall be painted chrome yellow.

(3.1) If all or part of a bus operated under the authority of a permit issued under subsection 7 (7) is painted chrome yellow, the bus shall also display on its front and rear the words “school bus” and on its rear the words “do not pass when signals flashing”.

School bus signs

(4) No motor vehicle on a highway, other than a school bus, shall have displayed thereon the words “school bus” or the words “do not pass when signals flashing” or be equipped with a school bus stop arm.

Driving motor vehicle,

(5) No person shall drive or operate a motor vehicle on a highway that contravenes subsection (3),

School bus driver, signals

(6) Subject to subsection (9), every school bus driver,

(a) who is about to stop on a highway for the purpose of receiving or discharging children or receiving or discharging adults who have developmental disabilities, shall actuate the overhead red signal-lights on the bus;

(b) as soon as the bus is stopped for a purpose set out in clause (a), shall actuate the school bus stop arm; and

(c) while the bus is stopped for a purpose set out in clause (a) on a highway, shall continue to operate the overhead red signal-lights and stop arm until the passengers have been received or discharged and until all passengers having to cross the highway have completed the crossing.

School buses, stopping on highway

(7) Clause 170 (1) (a) does not apply to a driver who stops in accordance with subsection (6).

School buses, restriction on use of signals
(8) No person shall actuate the overhead red signal-lights or the stop arm on a school bus on a highway under any circumstances other than those set out in subsection (6).

(9) No person shall actuate the overhead red signal-lights or the stop arm on a school bus,

(a) at an intersection controlled by an operating traffic control signal system;

(b) at any other location controlled by an operating traffic control signal system at,

(i) a sign or roadway marking indicating where the stop is to be made,

(ii) the area immediately before entering the nearest crosswalk, if there is no sign or marking indicating where the stop is to be made, or

(iii) a point not less than five metres before the nearest traffic control signal, if there is no sign, marking or crosswalk; or

(c) within sixty metres from a location referred to in clause (a) or (b).

School bus loading zones

(10) No person shall stop a school bus on a highway for the purpose of receiving or discharging children or receiving or discharging adults who have developmental disabilities,

(a) opposite a designated school bus loading zone; or

(b) at a designated school bus loading zone, except as close as practicable to the right curb or edge of the roadway. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 175 (10); 2001, c. 13, s. 18 (5).

Duty of drivers when school bus stopped

(11) Every driver or street car operator, when meeting on a highway, other than a highway with a median strip, a stopped school bus that has its overhead red signal-lights flashing, shall stop before reaching the bus and shall not proceed until the bus moves or the overhead red signal-lights have stopped flashing.

Note: On a day to be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor, subsection 175 (11) of the Act is repealed and the following substituted:

Duty of drivers when school bus stopped

(11) Every driver or street car operator, when meeting on a highway, other than a highway with a median strip, a stopped school bus that has its overhead red signal-lights flashing, shall stop before reaching the bus and shall not proceed until the bus moves or the overhead red signal-lights have stopped flashing.

(11.1) Every driver or street car operator, when meeting on a highway, other than a highway with a median strip, a stopped school bus that has its stop arm actuated, shall stop before reaching the bus and shall not proceed until the bus moves or the stop arm is no longer actuated.(12) Every driver or street car operator on a highway, when approaching from the rear a stopped school bus that has its overhead red signal-lights flashing, shall stop at least twenty metres before reaching the bus and shall not proceed until the bus moves or the overhead red signal-lights have stopped flashing.