With some schools getting back in session and new au pairs who have recently arrived, I wanted to remind everyone about what to do in different situations with school buses. If you have questions, please ask your counselor or your host parents.

The rules regarding stopping for school buses are:

• It is against the law to pass a stopped school bus while its lights are flashing and its stop signal arm is extended.

• On undivided roadways, with no physical barrier or median, vehicles must stop on both sides of the roadway.

• Yellow flashing lights indicate that the bus is preparing to load or unload children. Motorists should slow down and prepare to stop their vehicles.

• Red flashing lights and extended stop arms indicate that the bus has stopped, and children are getting on or off. Motorists approaching from either direction must wait until the red lights stop flashing before proceeding.

NB: It isn’t necessary to stop when passing a school bus on a different road or when on a controlled-access highway where the bus is stopped in a loading zone and pedestrians aren’t permitted to cross.