Compliance With School Bus Passing Laws Top Priority For Palos Park PD

PALOS PARK, IL — Palos Park police are beginning its school safety campaign in earnest wiith students heading back to school. Police are reminding everyone to take extra steps to be safe, especially near school bus stops, and to obey school bus arm laws.

Commander Chris Hughes, of the Palos Park Police Department, is overseeing day shift efforts during bus pickups and dropoffs. Palos Dist. 118 grades 1 through 8 return Aug. 24; preschool and kindergarten students return Aug. 15.

Police are warning drivers ahead of time that officers could be riding on buses to witness violators and radioing ahead to patrol cars. Officers will also be enforcing school bus laws from patrol cars. Public and private schools may request an officer to ride on along routes where motorists are not complying with school bus laws by calling Palos Park Police Chief Joe Miller at 708-671-3771 or by emailing jmiller@palospark.org.

Drivers approaching a school bus from the rear, or from the opposite direction on a two-lane road, must stop for any school bus receiving or discharging students and may not proceed until the school bus resumes motion or the driver is signaled to proceed by the school bus driver. Drivers need not stop if traveling from the opposite direction on a road of four or more lanes.

Here are a few more school zone driving safety tips:

• Be on the lookout for school zone signals and ALWAYS obey the speed limits.
• When entering a school zone, be sure to slow down and obey all traffic laws.
• ALWAYS stop for school buses that are loading or unloading children.
• Watch out for school crossing guards and obey their signals.
• Be aware of and watch out for children near schools, bus stops, sidewalks, in the streets, and in school parking lots.
• NEVER pass other vehicles while driving in a school zone.
• NEVER text while driving in a school zone.
• Avoid using a cell phone, unless it is completely hands-free, while driving in a school zone.