LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — As students in the Natural State prepare to kick off the new school year, Arkansas State Police wants to remind people to expect heavier traffic during their morning and afternoon commutes.
Drivers should be aware that each day during the school year, up to 350,000 children ride school buses on Arkansas roadways.
"You're going to see a lot more traffic than you do in the mornings and evening times on your commute to work," Cpt. Brad Lann with Arkansas State Police said.
That's why more state troopers will be out patrolling the roads.
"We ask that you be patient, you give yourself some extra time to get to your destination," Lann said.
Alongside patience, Lann said that drivers should be mindful when they see school buses stopping on the roads.
"If there's a 20-foot median or more than if you're going the opposite direction, then you wouldn't technically have to stop, but we highly suggest that you slow down," he said. "On a non-divided highway. You are required to stop, no matter which direction you are going."
Lann wants to remind drivers that it's a law to stop for buses and the students that ride them. If you don't, there are consequences.
"There's now a $2,500 fine, or up to 90 days in jail for your first offense. So it's something that we take very serious. The troopers will be out watching for these violations, and there'll be a zero tolerance on these citations," he explained.
Unfortunately, these violations are something bus drivers in the North Little Rock school district see daily.
"It gets frustrating for us, you know, because we don't want any kids to be hurt," North Little Rock Bus Driver Shanisha Stewart said.
When people do pass the stopped bus, Stewart said it doesn't go unreported. They write down tag numbers and can even catch them on camera.
"We are able to see whatever drivers are in the front of us," she said.
With that in mind, Stewart urges drivers to remember to pay extra attention and slow down.
"We just ask for you to be patient," she said. "When you see that that school bus has stopped, just stop."
Officials recommended the following guidelines when driving near a school bus to help keep yourself and the students onboard safe:
- Be cautious and attentive, especially before and after school hours
- Maintain a greater following distance when driving behind a school bus so you have more time to stop when the yellow lights start flashing
- Never pass a school bus from behind or from either direction if you are on an undivided road and the bus has stopped
- Remain alert in the area 10 feet around a school bus, which is the most dangerous for children
- Stop far enough back to give students room to enter and exit the bus safely.
- Remember that children can be unpredictable and may take risks when crossing the road to their destination
- Be patient with young or inexperienced drivers on the road. ASP recommends that parents practice driving routes to school if they have teens who are now new drivers
As a reminder, in Arkansas, drivers can be fined up to $2,500 or face up to 90 days in jail for illegally passing a stopped school bus.
"Troopers will be diligently enforcing a strict zero-tolerance policy for any drivers who unlawfully pass a stopped school bus," said ASP Capt. Brad Lann. "There is no destination important enough to justify passing a stopped school bus and endangering the lives of children."
Captain Lann wants to remind drivers that being on their phone, even being hands-free, is illegal in a school zone.
As for commuters, they're encouraged to leave a few minutes earlier than usual and anticipate increased traffic and potential delays during school drop-off and pick-up times.
For information on traffic delays and to view congested areas, check out the Arkansas Department of Transportation's IDrive app.