Drivers reminded to stop for Iowa school buses as students return to class

WAUKEE, Iowa — As the school year kicks into gear, school buses are back on the roads and the Iowa State Patrol wants drivers to be on the lookout.

Officials with the Iowa State Patrol stress the need to stop for school buses when the red lights are on and the stop signs are extended. Unless a road has more than three lanes, drivers need to stop when the red lights go off. Drivers need to always stop when they’re behind a bus.

The State Patrol is prepared to enforce the law as well. Many buses are now equipped with cameras that can record drivers who pass stopped buses, and troopers will track down drivers who violate the law.

Bus drivers also say stopping behind the white line gives buses the needed space to make turns.

While deadly accidents involving school buses are rare, the results can be tragic.

“That’s a thing that’s going to devastate many people. Devastate a community, devastate a whole town and that’s something these drivers are going to have to live with, those consequences. And we do not want anybody to have to deal with that around here because that is a tragic event and can have lasting consequences on a community,” said Sgt. Alex Dinkla, the Public Information Officer of the Iowa State Patrol.

For more information on when drivers are required to stop for school buses, you can read more from the DOT here .

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to who13.com.