Throughout Tampa Bay, school bus drivers are testing their routes in advance of next week's start to the school year.
Citrus County Schools are already in session. Hernando, Pasco, Pinellas, Manatee and Polk counties start on Monday and Hillsborough County begins classes on Tuesday.
Florida Highway Patrol spokesman Sgt. Steve Gaskins said now is the time for drivers to remind themselves about the rules of the road as they relate to school buses.
"It's always a good reminder as school comes back into session that we have to be careful," he said. "Watch out for the kids going to and from school."
Many drivers are unfamiliar with the proper stop procedure when a bus deploys the red lights and stop arm.
On a two-lane road or a multi-lane road without a raised median, all traffic in all directions must stop. For roadways with a raised median between the opposing traffic, oncoming drivers are not required to stop. All traffic traveling the same direction as a stopped school bus must stop, regardless of the presence of a median.
Gaskins said drivers can expect to see increased enforcement during the first few weeks of school. Fines for drivers passing a stopped school bus can be more than $160.
Gaskins reminds drivers that no amount of fine or ticket is enough compared to a young person's life.