INDIANAPOLIS - A new school bus safety campaign is underway in Indiana as students head back to the classroom.

State and local law enforcement agencies are reminding drivers to stop for school buses or face the consequences.

Over the next several months, law enforcement officers will be increasing patrols to prevent stop-arm violations, speeding, and other forms of reckless driving around school buses and in school zones.

More than 200 agencies plan to participate in the back-to-school Stop Arm Violation Enforcement campaign—better known as SAVE.

In 2019, Indiana lawmakers approved tougher penalties for drivers who pass school buses with extended stop arms after three children were fatally struck while crossing a highway to board a bus. Violators could pay a fine of up to $10,000, have their license suspended for up to 90 days for the first offense or up to a year for the second.

In April, thousands of bus drivers who participated in a one-day observational survey counted 2,041 stop-arm violations in Indiana.

The overtime patrols are funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration through grants from the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI).