The new school year is upon us and schools are set to open soon.

            Throughout Pennsylvania 1.5 million children are transported on roads each day.  These children are transported approximately 400 million miles to school each year. To further promote safety, school vehicles may be equipped with a yellow flashing or revolving light.

            Every year, children are needlessly injured or killed by drivers passing stopped school buses.

            Once again, we remind drivers to use extra caution and obey school bus laws.  As a reminder, we are sharing the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's message.

             School bus safety is a high priority in Pennsylvania. Students, parents, teachers, administrators, transportation personnel and the motoring public all play important roles in keeping our children safe while on or around the school bus.

            Pennsylvania's School Bus Stopping Law:

            Motorists must stop at least 10 feet away from school buses that have their red lights flashing and stop arm extended;

            Motorists must stop when they are behind a bus, meeting the bus or approaching an intersection where a bus is stopped;

            Motorists following or traveling alongside a school bus must also stop until the red lights have stopped flashing, the stop arm is withdrawn, and all children have reached safety;

            If physical barriers such as grassy medians, guide rails or concrete median barriers separate oncoming traffic from the bus, motorists in the opposing lanes may proceed without stopping; and Do not proceed until all the children have reached a place of safety.

The penalties if convicted of violating Pennsylvania's School Bus Stopping Law include a $250 fine, five points on your driving record, and a 60-day license suspension.

            Also, when a school bus is equipped with a side stop arm enforcement system and you pass a school bus with its red lights flashing, you may receive a $300 total fine in the mail.

            Annually, more than 700 drivers are convicted for passing a stopped school bus with its red lights flashing.

            For more information you can visit www.penndot.gov/safety.

            Don't speed.  Being a little late for work is better than driving dangerously.  Better yet, now that schools are open, leave your home 10 minutes earlier and drive safely.

            Remember that speed has five letters; so has death.  Slow has four letters; so has life.