Salisbury schools are back in session.

Salisbury Police Department Sgt. Bryan Losagio this week issued a reminder drivers need to be more aware of their responsibility to come to a complete stop when the flashing “STOP” sign is activated as students are getting on or off a school bus.

“School buses in Salisbury Township are equipped with video devices that automatically record the traffic lanes adjacent to a stopped bus,” Losagio said. “We regard those videos as another tool to help us keep our students safe on our roadways. But, if a driver ignores that stop arm, they are setting themselves up for a $300 fine established by state law.”

When an approaching school bus displays flashing amber lights, a driver must slow down and be prepared to stop.

When a driver overtakes a stopped school bus with red signal lights flashing and the stop arm activated, the driver MUST STOP.

“We work very hard to keep our school children safe from traffic hazards,” Losagio said. He said the videos showing violations of the bus stopping law are carefully reviewed at police department headquarters to assure there are no grounds for a false violation. “We don’t want to see anybody fined $300, but that is the penalty for ignoring the law. Pass a stopped school bus and you will be seeing a violation notice in your mailbox.”