FINCASTLE, VA – Botetourt County Public School students will be returning to school on Wednesday, August 10th and once again the Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office is announcing its “Schools Open Campaign.”
The “Schools Open Campaign” is part of the Be Safe Botetourt Traffic Safety Initiative focused on increasing traffic safety awareness and educating motorists on the laws pertaining to stopped school busses, pedestrians and speeding in school zones. With public schools soon reopening, we want to remind the public that our children and busses will again be present on our highways, at bus stops, and in our school zones.
“It is imperative that we remind motorist now, that our children will once again be headed to school as both passengers and pedestrians along our highways,” said Sheriff Matt Ward, the safety of our children will be our top priority.”
The Sheriff’s Office will begin posting educational material on social media platforms reminding motorists to obey current laws, outlining enhanced penalties for violations in school zones and the passing of a stopped and unloading school bus.
Starting August 10, 2022, School Resource Officers and Patrol Deputies through a partnership with the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will be strictly enforcing the speed limit in school zones. Deputies will be performing high visibility enforcement in our school zones to encourage safe driving behaviors.
The Sheriff’s Office wants to highlight the fact that many of the county’s buses are equipped with video cameras that will capture violators passing the bus once the red lights are activated. We will work with the school system and its drivers to investigate and prosecute all such violations.
Please join us in our efforts in keeping our children safe this new school year. You may contact Deputy David Moyer in our Community Resource Office at 540-928-2260 should you have any questions or concerns.
- 46.2-859. Passing a stopped school bus; prima facie evidence.
With public schools reopening on August 10, 2022, we want to remind the public of this often and surprisingly frequent violation that places our children at risk. Stop for school busses that have the stop sign deployed and flashing red lights. Its not just a stop sign it’s a child’s life.
We want to highlight the fact that many of our school busses are equipped with video cameras that will capture violators passing the bus once the red lights are activated. We will work with the school system and its drivers to investigate and prosecute all such violations.
Please join us in our efforts in keeping our children safe this new school year.