Those big yellow school buses are back on the road now to get kids to and from the classroom, but do drivers in Arizona know the proper way to share the road safely?
"The number one thing I think we hope to see is: when the lights are red and the stop arm is out...stop," said Darlene Chavez.
Chavez is a bus driver and a dispatch clerk with the Creighton School District.
She is simply asking commuters to do the bare minimum.
"I would just say to everybody out there, when you see that big yellow school bus coming... that there are children nearby," Chavez explained.
Drivers, like Chavez, must focus on the safety of students and other misbehaving drivers.
The Apache Junction Police Department released some refreshers for those sharing the road with school buses this school year.
Please Stop for School Buses and Let’s Keep Our Children Safe! pic.twitter.com/e8Z3kAi7oN
— AJ Police Department (@AJPoliceDept) July 27, 2022
It states:
- If a driver is on a two-lane roadway, a four-lane roadway without a center median, and a roadway with a center turning lane with no median - all traffic must hit the brakes when the school bus stop sign is out.
- If a driver is on a divided highway with a separating median, only drivers riding on the side where the bus is must stop.
"Their number one goal here is the safety of the children and to get them to and from school (safely)," said Chavez.
Chavez told Operation Safe Roads the Creighton School District is also still looking to hire drivers to help get those kids to the classroom. They have begun a new 12-month position with in-house training. Click here to learn more.