With school still in session for the next few months, there are several school buses that are traveling on the streets in Riverbank transporting children in the community. In a recent Facebook post from Riverbank Police Services (RPS) authorities indicated there seem to be several drivers that are not adhering to school bus safety laws which state, when the bus flashes red lights (located at the top front and back of the bus), you must stop from either direction until the children are safely across the street and the lights stop flashing.

Drivers going north and south have often been disobeying the law when there are school buses stopped on the road. Drivers are going around the school bus even though they are stopped with their lights flashing and the stop sign posted on the side has been engaged, reaching out toward the the opposite lane. Deputies have made approximately 36 traffic enforcement stops and have given multiple citations between Jan. 1 and Feb. 4, said police officials.

RPS posted a message that asked the public to watch for and stop for all school buses that are stopped and displaying red flashing lights and a stop sign. The California state school bus laws are set in place for the safety of the children who are entering and exiting the bus.

Deputies will conduct directed enforcement along the bus routes throughout the city due to the fact that it is becoming a dangerous problem.

According to the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS) nearly 100,000 drivers reported that 88,025 vehicles passed their buses illegally on a single day.