In a few short days, thousands of school buses will hit the road on the first day of school for the Clark County School District.
Law enforcement officials are reminding drivers of the school zone traffic laws to look out for.
"Traffic safety starts with human kindness," said Andrew Bennett, Public Information Officer with the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety. "We're going to see a lot more traffic on our streets especially the first week of school. We're making sure everyone understands what the system is."
When you see red flashing lights on a school bus, drivers in both directions must stop. The only exception is if the road is divided by a physical barrier like a median or raised curb. In that case, drivers on the same side of the road as the bus must stop.
Drivers caught passing a school bus could be hit with a fine anywhere from $250 to $500.
Parents dropping off their student are asked to use designated drop-off zones. For those heading to work, allow a little extra time in your commute for the first few weeks.
Speed limit in a school zone is 15 mph and 25 in a school crossing zone. Those are in effect 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after the school day, or when chidren are present.
Fines for speeding double in a school zone.
"You're looking at $100-$200 ticket becoming a $200-$400 ticket," Bennett added.
If your child is walking to school, all elementary schools have a designated safe route.
