Exercise Caution in School Zones, Near Buses

With the starting , the is reminding drivers to remain alert when driving in school zones or adjacent to school buses to ensure the safety of children being transported to and from school.

In a news release, Paulding County Sheriff Gary Gulledge said that deputies will be patrolling school zones as part of their daily operations and will be watching for drivers that fail to stop for school buses that are loading or unloading passengers.

Gulledge urges drivers to remember that Georgia law requires them to stop in both directions for school buses that are displaying their flashing red lights and have the stop arm activated—except for on controlled access highways or when the highway is divided into separate roadways. After stopping, you may proceed only after the school bus resumes motion or the flashing red lights are no longer activated.

Deputies with the Paulding County Sheriff's Office Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic (H.E.A.T.) unit urge drivers to use extreme care and to leave more space when traveling around a school bus, especially when following a school bus.

"Drivers who are following school buses too closely are not prepared for the frequent stops made by the school bus. Drivers should always use extreme caution when following school buses and obey the posted speed limits in the school zones," Gulledge said in the release, adding that a conviction for unlawfully passing a school bus carries a 6-point on a driving record, as well as a six-month suspension of a driver's license for drivers under the age of 21.

The majority of fatal crashes involving school buses have occurred when the school bus was struck by a smaller passenger vehicle.

Gulledge also reminds drivers to be alert for children waiting for the school bus, especially during the early morning hours when visibility is reduced.

"Children are not always aware of their surroundings or vehicles that may be passing by and the dangers that they pose," he said. "Drivers should be prepared to stop when approaching children that are waiting for a school bus."