SPRINGFIELD, Ill (Chambana Today) — With the start of the school year just days away, the Illinois State Police (ISP) is reminding drivers to slow down in school zones and obey school bus traffic laws to keep students safe.

ISP emphasized that school zone speed limits are 20 mph, effective from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on school days when children are present. Use of hand-held cell phones is also prohibited in these zones, and violations carry enhanced fines.

The most serious danger, ISP says, is not on the bus—but around it. Many student injuries and fatalities occur in the “danger zone” — the 10-foot area around the school bus — often due to drivers ignoring flashing red lights and extended stop arms.

Here’s a refresher on when to stop for school buses:

• On two-lane roads, all traffic must stop when a bus has its lights flashing and stop arm extended.
• On one-way roads, all lanes must stop, no matter how many there are.
• On four-lane roads with at least two lanes in each direction, only drivers traveling in the same direction as the bus must stop.

Drivers should also know that school buses are required to stop at railroad crossings. If you’re driving behind a bus and within 100 feet of a railroad crossing, you cannot legally pass.

Failure to stop for a school bus that is loading or unloading children carries a mandatory $300 fine and a three-month license suspension for a first offense.