Local law enforcement agencies are reminding motorists that area school buses will soon be hitting the road, taking students to and from school. (Photo by Maria Rutherford)

Schools started opening this week for students around the Mid-Ohio Valley, which puts the big yellow buses back in rotation on area roads.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office recently posted a notice on its website to remind drivers about school bus safety.

Chief Deputy Mark Warden said officers will be out as a reminder as when school is out, people speed through school zones. He said the sheriff’s office typically doesn’t see issues with people following the rules of school bus safety.

“We do have the rare instance by people not paying attention,” he said.

Warden gave a few things for people to be aware of when they are driving near a school bus.

“Be vigilant. Give kids plenty of room. Pay attention to the yellow and red lights on the bus,” he said. “Don’t leave your position until the student has passed in front of the bus and the bus begins to move. If you are sitting stopped and someone blows through, try to get a license number.”

Ohio State Highway Patrol Sgt. Dustin Payne said his office handles accidents involving school buses.

“A majority of the school bus crashes are from them backing into something or if the bus is rear ended,” he said. “Knock on wood, there’s been nothing too serious.”

Rules regarding school bus safety is outlined in Ohio Revised Code Section 4511.75:

¯ The driver of a vehicle, upon meeting or overtaking from either direction, any school bus stopped for the purpose of receiving or discharging any school child, shall stop at least 10 feet from the front or rear of the school bus and shall not proceed until the school bus resumes motion, or until signaled by the school bus driver to proceed.

¯ Every school bus shall be equipped with amber and red visual signals, along with an automatically extended stop warning sign used only when the bus is stopped or stopping to receive or discharge students.

¯ Where a highway has been divided into four or more traffic lanes, a driver need not stop for a school bus approaching from the opposite direction which has stopped for the purpose of receiving or discharging any school child.

As a reminder:

¯ Never pass a bus from behind – or from either direction if you’re on an undivided road – if it is stopped to load or unload children.

¯ If the yellow or red lights are flashing and the stop arm is extended, traffic must stop.

¯ The area 10 feet around a school bus is the most dangerous for children; stop far enough back to allow them space to safely enter and exit the bus.

¯ Be alert; children often are unpredictable, and they tend to ignore hazards and take risks.

Source: National Safety Council.