LITTLE ROCK —In just a few short weeks, more than 6,000 school buses will begin sharing the roadways with motorists, meaning school bus safety will again be a priority. To encourage all drivers to obey traffic laws, especially around school buses, the Arkansas Department of Education, Arkansas Association of Pupil Transportation, and Arkansas School Bus Mechanics Association are launching the seventh annual Flashing Red. Kids Ahead. school bus safety campaign.

This one-month campaign reminds drivers that it is illegal to pass stopped school buses when their red lights are flashing, as students are getting on and off the bus. In April, Arkansas school bus drivers reported 884 instances of motorists illegally passing stopped school buses in one day. Twelve of those instances occurred on the right side of the bus, where students enter and leave the bus.      MORE