Lawmakers Debate School Bus Strobe Lights
It’s going to be a big week at the Statehouse as lawmakers introduce several new bills.
CENTRAL OHIO—It’s going to be a big week at the Statehouse as lawmakers introduce several new bills.
NBC 4 GOT ANSWERS on the pending legislation.
Senator Jon Husted was set to introduce his bill Tuesday that would change the way the state determines general assembly congressional districts.
The Senate Judiciary Criminal Justice Committee was scheduled hear two new bills Wednesday.
One would require sexually violent predators released from prison to be monitored by global-positioning system devices and to pay for the cost of the GPS devices. The bill also would authorize the civil commitment of certain sexually violent predators.
The committee also was set to hear another bill that seeks to grant civil immunity to physicians who provide emergency services or first aid in compliance with federal law or as a result of a disaster.
A bill that would grant an income-tax credit to college graduates in the fields of science, technology, engineering or math also was set to be discussed Wednesday.
The House Committee for Public Safety and Homeland Security was scheduled to hear a bill that would require all new school buses be equipped with a single, white strobe light that would flash when the bus is transporting passengers.
The strobe lights were designed to promote safety, especially in the dark, as a school bus makes its stops.
NBC 4 asked Central Ohioans if they thought the strobe lights would help protect children.
“Actually, I think it’s a great idea,“ Chris Holley of Mount Sterling said. “Being a tow truck operator, strobe lights seem to help. We have the beacon bar on top of the trucks and you can be seen, so it makes sense.“
Pataskala resident Raymond Hough told NBC 4 that he thought police should be responsible for keeping drivers in-check when it comes to obeying school bus laws.
“Get the cops to enforce it more on the cars because otherwise, people ain’t gonna pay no attention to them,“ he said.
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Reader Reactions
I am a school bus driver and the district I drive for as the strobe lights when pre-tripping the bus all we are to so is check to see it works. Not all districts have a policy as to the strobe light. As for those who cant see a big yellow school bus, YOU WOULD BE AMAZED!!! Some drivers just need to be smacked with a LARGE fat ticket. I agree with the strobe lights but then again its a matter of the school districts, and if they are enforced or not.
normaly if there is to much fog, they put the school on a 2hr delay. if the roads are that dangerous then keep the kids at home. they keep asking for money and the well is going dry. if safty is a consern the put all the kids on-line and they don’t have to leave there house. i’ve never had a problem seeing a car or bus in the fog and i’m always on the road, i drive a semi. i’ve driven well over a millon miles and never hit one yet. speed is the main cause. when it’s foggy slow down.
Problem is Yellow lights and red lights are not very visabale in fog and rain. No one should WHINE about the small cost of a white fog light Less then $250.00 per bus compared to serious injury or the life of a child.
more money that we don’t have to spend, if they can’t see the yellow and red lights they shouldn’t be on the highway. what’s next flashing billboards on the sides. get these stupid things off the table and get to the problem at hand, finding ways to spend the money that we have right, and quit making project that we can’t aford.
Strobe Lights are on a lot of school buses now. They are great not only on darker days but in fog and rain.
GPS for sexual predators as long as they never wonder outside a prison or graveyard.
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