With the 2018-2019 school year well underway safety is paramount to administrators, parents, and law enforcement. In particular, school bus safety for drivers is important to keep in mind. One Guthrie County community has been doing a good job at practicing safe driving so far this year.

Panora Police Chief Matt Reising says he hasn’t cited anyone for passing a school bus illegally and hopes to see that trend continue. “Since the law has changed we’ve seen quite a bit less. So I guess keep up the good work. Make sure that you stop for school buses, because you, if found guilty, will lose your license and it’s quite a hefty fine.”

The Iowa Department of Education provides some helpful reminders to drivers when encountering a school bus. They include: coming to a complete stop when a bus deploys yellow flashing lights, stopping your vehicle at least 15 feet behind the bus, and remaining stopped until the flashing lights are turned off and the stop arm is retracted.

The fine for illegally passing a school bus is up to $250, which doesn’t include additional court fees. To hear more about driving trends in Panora with Chief Reising, listen to today’s Let’s Talk Guthrie County program. To learn more on school bus safety, click on the link below:

https://educateiowa.gov/pk-12/school-transportation/school-bus-safety