Heed the warnings of school buses’ lights

As schools start back up during the next couple of weeks, it is a good time to remember that school buses also will be back on the road and will be making many stops in your neighborhood.

To help save you several hundred dollars in fines and costs for running the stop arm on a school bus, here is a brief reminder of what you as a driver are responsible for. When a bus has its yellow lights atop the bus flashing, oncoming traffic must slow down and be prepared to stop. Traffic from behind the bus can no longer pass. When the red lights are flashing and the stop arm is extended, no vehicle can pass the bus from any direction.

These laws exist for one reason only: the safety of our children. The 30 to 60 seconds you have to sit behind a stopped bus may be a minor inconvenience, but think about how you would feel if you hit a child crossing the street because you didn't stop. One child's life is worth your time.

Duane J. Arnold

Cedar Rapids