Learning the Laws About Driving Near School Buses

and students will be getting back behind their schools desks this week for a new year, which means those yellow buses, crossing guards, and walking students, will flood the roadways.

Take our small refresher course to keep our kids safe:

• It is very important to pay attention and follow all traffic rules when driving around school buses. All school buses have flashing lights and a stop arm to alert you when to stop.
• Yellow lights will begin to flash to warn drivers that a bus is approaching a stop. This is your signal to slow down and prepare to stop.
• If you are approaching a school bus from either direction with flashing red lights, you must stop at least 25 feet away from the bus. If you are driving on the opposite side of the road with a median in the middle, you must then slow down to 10 mph.
• Do not pass a bus in either direction when its stop arm is extended. However, if the bus has stopped in front of a school, you may then pass it from either direction at no more than 10 mph.

Penalties for passing a stopped school bus include fines and up to five points on a driver's license. 

Even though big yellow school buses won't be dropping students off at Borough schools, safety precautions are still needed in the walking district.

At the Tuesday , the topic of safety in a walking school district came up multiple times.

In the public comment section of the meeting, Annette Jordan, President of the Freehold Borough Board of Education, addressed the Council and audience about the extra safety needed with the coming school year.

"As you know school will start on Thursday, since we are a walking district please exercise caution while traveling in the Borough."

Bridging off Jordan's comments, Councilman George Schnurr provided meeting attendees with some more reminders of the safety needed with the coming school year.

"School will be back in session and children will be sharing the roads with the rest of us. Drivers should be aware of the school zones, drivers should respect and obey crossing guards, and parents should be careful when dropping off their children in the school parking lot. Since we [the Borough] are a walking school district, drivers should be extra vigilant during the mornings and afternoons and most of all obey the speed limits."