Full Notification

Battle Ground - Today at approximately 3:45 p.m. the Indiana State Police at the Lafayette Post in cooperation with the Tippecanoe School Corporation were watching for school bus stop arm violations on State Road 43 near State Road 225 in Tippecanoe County.

A trooper in an unmarked vehicle followed the school bus carrying children from the Battle Ground Elementary School. The state trooper was watching for violations and was in contact with troopers in marked commissions on side roads ready to stop vehicles in violation of the stop arm law.

“We want to be sure our students are safe and remind people not to get in a hurry when they see a school bus stopped ahead. It may be someone you know that gets hurt,” said Battle Ground Elementary Principal John Pearl.

The Indians State Police want to remind motorists that it is a Class A Infraction which is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000.00 if you violate the stop arm law. The content of the law states:

IC 9-21-12-1
Arm signal device; duty to obey; presumption
Sec. 1. (a) A person who drives a vehicle that:
(1) meets or overtakes from any direction a school bus stopped on a roadway and is not stopped before reaching the school bus when the arm signal device specified in IC 9-21-12-13 is in the device's extended position; or
(2) proceeds before the arm signal device is no longer extended;
commits the offense described in section 9 of this chapter.
(b) This section is applicable only if the school bus is in substantial compliance with the markings required by the state school bus committee.
(c) There is a rebuttable presumption that the owner of the vehicle involved in the violation of this section committed the violation. This presumption does not apply to the owner of a vehicle involved in the violation of this section if the owner routinely engages in the business of renting the vehicle for periods of thirty (30) days or less.
It is also important to note on which roads a vehicle must stop on when approaching a stopped school bus with an active stop arm.

IC 9-21-12-3
Divided highways; vehicles approaching school bus; duty to use caution
Sec. 3. On a highway divided into two (2) or more roadways by:
(1) leaving an intervening space that is unimproved and not intended for vehicular travel;
(2) a physical barrier; or
(3) a dividing section constructed to impede vehicular traffic; and
if the school bus is on the opposite side of the traffic barrier, the person who drives an approaching vehicle need not stop and may proceed with due caution for the safety of children boarding or leaving the school bus.

There were five stop arm violations cited on this day as well as a citation written for not wearing a seatbelt. Troopers expect to conduct future patrols for stop arm violations in an attempt to reduce crashes and the potential for dangerous driving in the Lafayette District.