Students from Borrego Springs Unified School District begin classes on September 9, and it is important for the community to know the rules of driving close to a school bus. First to know is that it is illegal to pass a school bus that has stopped to load or unload children. Yellow lights on buses alert motorists that the bus will make a stop shortly. Red flashing lights and a stop sign, alerts motorists the bus has stopped. Do not pass the school bus in this instance.

Kids are at most risk of being hit within 10 feet of the bus. Motorists should stop their car at a distance to allow the children to enter or exit the bus. Motorists should at all times be alert as children can be unpredictable. Children are usually very comfortable with their surroundings when they are walking to or from the bus, and are likely to ignore hazards, take risks, and fail to look both ways when crossing the street.

At a stoplight, drivers should not block the crosswalk or stop with a portion of the car over the crosswalk. At a school zone drivers should stop when a warning flasher is blinking, and yield the right-of-way for pedestrians crossing on marked or unmarked crosswalks.

Drivers should always be extra careful for children in school zones, parks, playgrounds, and residential areas.