Illinois Drivers Could Face Double Fines For Passing A Stopped School Bus

CHICAGO (CBS)--Fines for Illinois drivers caught passing a stopped school bus would double under a new proposed law making its way through the legislature.

The legislation, which was passed to the Senate after getting House approval last week, doubles the fine for passing a stopped school bus from $150 to a new mandatory fee of $300.

A second violation for the same offense would bring the existing $500 fine fine up to $1,000.

The proposed law would also affect the state's power to suspend someone's driver's license if they violated school bus laws by allowing a three-month suspension. Someone caught a second time within a five-year period would lose their license for up to a year.

Accidents involving motorists and school buses have made headlines in recent years.

In one of the more tragic cases, a 24-year-old driver in October 2018 killed three children and seriously injured another child as they boarded a school bus in Fulton County, Indiana.

In December of last year, a 13-year-old boy was killed in a crash when a truck rear-ended a school bus in Marshall County, Indiana.

Read more: 

Drivers Speed Past Stopped School Buses Alarming Parents

Woman Charged In Fatal Bus Accident In Fulton County, Indiana

The nameless bill, House Bill 1873, passed by a vote of 74-16, with 12 legislators voting "present."

The Senate will consider the bill later this week.