Southwest Florida students have headed back to the classroom. This means our roadways will see a significant increase in pedestrian and automobile traffic, including those bright yellow school buses carrying our most precious cargo.

Every year, residents are stumped when it comes to the law of stopping for a school bus, which can lead to disastrous consequences.

To make sure you are on the right side of the law this school year, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office encourages you to “know before you go”:

– If you are going the same way as a school bus that is flashing red lights and has the stop arm extended, you must stop behind the bus and not move until the bus retracts the stop arm and turns off the red flashing lights.

– If you are going the opposite way of the school bus that is flashing red lights and has the stop arm extended, you must stop in front of the bus and not move until the bus retracts the stop arm and turns off the flashing red lights, unless:

– You are on a divided highway and the roads are separated by an unpaved space by at least 5 feet or a raised median

– You are on a divided highway and the roadways are separated by a physical barrier.

Although monetary fines vary slightly throughout the state of Florida due to additional fees placed by individual counties and municipalities, this violation has a fine of $266 in Lee County and carries with it four points assessed to the violators driver’s license.

In addition, if the school bus is passed on the side which children enter and exit, the violation is a mandatory court appearance.

If a second or subsequent violation of the state statute occurs within a five-year period, the driver’s license of the violator will be suspended for no less than six months and no more than one year.

If you have questions regarding this safety and security tip, contact the LCSO at (239) 477-1000.

If you would like to report a fraud or scam, call the agencies fraud line at (239) 258-3292.

Source: Lee County Sheriff’s Office