COLUMBUS, Ohio (AVC News) — With students across Ohio returning to school, the Ohio Traffic Safety Office is reminding drivers and families to make traffic safety a priority.
The Ohio Department of Public Safety division is highlighting two statewide safety initiatives: Stop Means Stop, which focuses on school bus safety, and Buckle Up with Brutus, which teaches elementary students and their families about child passenger safety.
Stop Means Stop
The Stop Means Stop campaign reminds drivers that Ohio law requires them to stop when a school bus is picking up or dropping off students and has activated its red lights and stop arm.
The campaign was launched in 2024 following a recommendation from Gov. Mike DeWine’s School Bus Safety Working Group. The Ohio Traffic Safety Office provides schools, law enforcement agencies and community organizations with educational materials to promote school bus safety.
Ohio State Highway Patrol data shows that drivers continue to pose a significant safety concern around school buses.
In 2025, the Highway Patrol issued 879 citations to drivers for illegally passing stopped school buses, a 6% decrease from 2024.
Since 2021, there have been 6,414 crashes involving school buses on Ohio roads. Six of those crashes were fatal, resulting in six deaths, including one school-aged student.
There were also 17 fatal or serious-injury crashes involving school buses in 2025, up from 14 in 2024. Other drivers were responsible for 85% of those fatal and serious-injury crashes.
As school buses return to area roads, officials are reminding motorists to:
- Slow down in school zones.
- Avoid distracted driving and watch for children near bus stops.
- Stop when a school bus activates its red lights and stop arm.
The requirement applies to vehicles traveling in both directions on two-lane roads and roads with a center turning lane.
Buckle Up With Brutus
The Ohio Traffic Safety Office is also promoting its Buckle Up with Brutus program, a child passenger safety initiative designed for second- and third-grade students and their families.
The program teaches children about seat belt use, booster seats and choosing the appropriate vehicle seat based on their age and size.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 46% of child safety seats are misused, often because the wrong type of seat is being used or the seat is improperly installed.
In Ohio, 67% of children under age 13 who were killed in crashes in 2025 were unrestrained. Eight children were killed and 53 others seriously injured last year in Ohio because they were not properly restrained.
The Buckle Up with Brutus program launched statewide during the 2024-25 school year through a partnership involving Students Against Destructive Decisions and The Ohio State University.
The program uses age-appropriate lessons, interactive activities and the “Brutus’ Seat Belt Boogie” music video to teach children about proper restraint use.
The program also emphasizes when children should use booster seats and why children younger than 13 should ride in the back seat.
Officials said Buckle Up with Brutus has reached more than 11,500 students at 118 schools in 47 Ohio counties. The Ohio Traffic Safety Office provides free curriculum materials and reimbursement for presenters to support local traffic safety education.
Families can find child passenger safety information, including seat recommendations and installation guidance, through BuckleUp.Ohio.gov.
Schools, law enforcement agencies and community organizations can also access the Stop Means Stop educational resources through the Ohio Traffic Safety Office’s School Bus Safety resources.
