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Ohio Legislature eyes bus strobes

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A bill before the state Legislature would require that all new school buses be equipped with a white, roof-mounted strobe light. ...

April 22, 2009
1 min to read


COLUMBUS, Ohio — A bill before the state Legislature would require that all new school buses be equipped with a white, roof-mounted strobe light.

The strobe would have to be activated whenever the school bus is transporting passengers. It would be positioned in the middle of the bus roof.

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Ohio currently allows the strobes on school buses but does not require them.

Roof-mounted strobes are used on school buses in many states to increase their visibility, particularly in inclement weather and low light. Some pupil transportation officials have credited the strobes with reducing rear-ending and illegal passing of their school buses.

In a 2007 survey of state directors of pupil transportation, SCHOOL BUS FLEET found that at least 17 states required the strobes on school buses (42 of the 50 states responded). The other 25 states that responded allowed the strobes but didn’t require them.

Some states restrict strobe use to certain times, such as when loading or unloading passengers or when visibility is reduced by atmospheric conditions.

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