Increased distracted driving has led to more incidents in which crossing guards are being ignored, to the peril of the guard and students. A bill in the Ohio House would greatly stiffen penalties for disregarding crossing guards.
Republican Reps. Tom Young and Andrea White are sponsoring legislation in the Ohio House that could result in up to 180 days in jail and $1,000 in fines for drivers who disregard crossing guards in school zones.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -A new bill in the Ohio House would increase penalties for people who disregard orders from school crossing guards, at a time when accidents and near-accidents are increasingly tracked.They said that people are increasingly distracted on the road, and there have been too many crossing guards hit or nearly hit in recent years.October 2025, from injuries he sustained while being hit while on duty at the intersection of Hilliard Boulevard and Dover Center Road. Westlake Police remembered him as a regular visitor at the police station before and after his crossing guard shifts.Becky Evans was hit in January 2025 while volunteering as a crossing guard in Franklin City Schools in the Dayton area. She described seeing the driver’s headlights, pushing the children to the other side of the street and saying a prayer that they wouldn’t get injured, as she alone was hit.“It’s been over a year and I’m still dealing with medical issues, physical issues and she went on with her life like it was no big deal. It was really frustrating. So, thank you guys for caring enough to fix this problem,” she said to Young and White.-People who fail to obey an order from a crossing guard, or who harass, threaten, intimidate or interfere with a crossing guard would be guilty of a first-degree misdemeanor -If failing to obey or harassing the guard occurred during the hours during which a school zone speed limit was in effect, the court would have to impose a fine of two times the usual amount imposed for the violation. Drivers are required to yield to all pedestrians in a crosswalk. That includes stopping so they can safely cross. This applies in school zones and outside them, White said. “Many who take up that bright vest and do their best are retired and citizens that are volunteering,” she said. “… We definitely have a lot of older adults who are trying to help our youngest citizens, our most vulnerable.” The bill clarifies that crossing guards have authority over traffic when on duty. When they say stop, drivers must stop, Young said.Laura Hancock Laura Hancock is an award-winning politics and policy reporter in Columbus for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. She primarily covers K-12 schools, higher education and child care. She also occasionally...
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