As part of National School Bus Safety Week (Oct. 19-23), Highway Patrol troopers will ride school buses looking for motorists illegally passing school buses.

“Motorists should remember that state law requires them to stop for a school bus when its red alternating flashing lights are on. Loading and unloading are the most dangerous times for students who ride school buses,” said David Baker, DPS Assistant Director—Texas Highway Patrol. “We’ll have Highway Patrol troopers riding random school buses across the state, and we’ll issue citations to drivers who violate the law.”

Motorists who are cited for driving past a stopped school bus whose red alternating flashing lights are activated can expect to pay up to a $1,000 fine.

Although 35,000 school buses transport 1.4 million Texas children daily, school buses provide one of the safest modes of transportation, accounting for less than one-half of one percent of Texas roadway crashes.