ALPENA — When you’re out on the road on Monday, keep an eye out for buses and students.

Monday marks the first day of the 2019-20 school year for many Northeast Michigan students, including Alpena Public Schools.

That means school buses will be out picking up and dropping off students, parents will be driving their children to school, and some students will be walking to school.

When a motorist sees a bus, they should prepare to stop if they see the bus’s overhead yellow lights on, and stop at least 20 feet away from the bus when its overhead red lights are flashing.

All Alpena-area school buses are equipped with cameras, which allows law enforcement to observe vehicles that might be in violation of the law dealing with active school bus lights, a press release from the Michigan State Police-Alpena Post stated.

There were 1,073 school bus crashes in Michigan, four resulting in fatal crashes in 2018, according to the MSP’s Criminal Justice Information Center.

Ashley Simpson, community service trooper with the Alpena Post, said in the press release that parents should talk to their children about school bus safety.

“To reduce the chance of transportation-related injuries, we encourage parents to teach their children about proper behavior around a bus,” Simpson said.

Alpena Superintendent John VanWagoner said students should be attentive while waiting for the bus.

Parents should be patient during the first week of school as bus drivers get used to routes, VanWagoner said. He said buses might be early or late.

“Everything should be secured and running smoothly after the first week,” VanWagoner said.

VanWagoner said students who walk to school should watch for traffic. He said motorists should be aware of the crossing guards at the schools.

Many Alpena High School students drive to school, and VanWagoner said those students should follow basic driver procedures, park in the right parking spot, and make sure they have a parking pass.

“There are usually no issues, though, because students do a great job,” he said.

VanWagoner said parents should be aware of the times parent drop-off or pick-up is supposed to happen at their child’s school, so they’re not early or late.

“Be early, but not too early,” VanWagoner said.

Back-to-school safety

Some back-to-school safety tips for parents and students.

∫ Do not run or play while waiting for the bus.

∫ Have a safe place to wait for the bus that’s away from traffic and the street.

∫ Remain in clear view of the bus driver.

∫ Stay away from the bus until it completely stops.

∫ Walk to the bus stop with a buddy.

∫ Mind all traffic signals and/or the crossing guard.

∫ Never leave with a stranger or get into a stranger’s vehicle.

Source: Michigan

State Police