Carter Bridges, left, and John Tyler Southwell pose with their new kindergarten teacher, Hannah Cato, at R.B. Wright Elementary School’s open house Thursday. Carter’s and John Tyler’s fathers went to school together and graduated in 2004. Colquitt County schools held open house events Thursday to introduce students and parents to the teachers who’ll be guiding the children through the next nine months of learning. Classes start on Monday.

MOULTRIE, Ga. — Motorists in Colquitt County have not seen school buses for about three months, but now that classes will begin again in a few days, drivers must remember special laws apply to how to deal with the big yellow vehicles transporting students.

Failure to comply with state laws could not only put children in danger, but also could result in hefty fines.

According to Alan Tillman, the fleet manager of the Colquitt County school system’s transportation department, more than 6,800 students are transported each day in 99 buses.

Those buses travel more than 1.5 million miles each year and motorists must be aware of the Georgia laws that apply to them.

• On a two-lane roadway, when a school bus stops for passengers, all traffic in both directions must stop.

• On a two-lane roadway with a center turning lane, when a school bus stops for passengers, all traffic from both directions must stop.

• On a four-lane roadway without a median separation, when a school bus stops for passengers, all traffic from both directions must stop.

• On a roadway of four lanes or more with a center turning lane, when a school bus stops for passengers, all traffic from both directions must stop.

• On a divided highway of four lanes or more with a grass median or concrete barrier separation, only traffic following the bus must stop.

So unless there is a median dividing a four-lane roadway, traffic in both directions must stop for school buses with their red lights flashing and stop sign arm extended.

Tillman said some drivers are unsure about whether they should stop on a four-lane roadway.

“Sometimes, they are just confused,” Tillman said. “They don’t know when they are supposed to stop.”

He explained that drivers who encounter a school bus on Route 319 or Route 133, which are four-laned but do not have a grass median or a concrete barrier, must stop for a school bus regardless of the direction they are traveling.

But once drivers are on Veterans Parkway, which has a grass median, they must stop only for a bus going in their direction. If a bus is loading or unloading students on the other side of the median, they do not have to stop.

Other drivers ignore the flashing lights and stop side arm for other reasons, including texting, Tillman said.

And illegal passing of school buses is a national problem.

Tillman said a national survey done two years ago recorded 58,000 violations in one day throughout the country. He said another done last fiscal year reported some 100,000 violations on one day.

Drivers who illegally pass a school bus and are seen by law enforcement can be pulled over and issued a moving violation.

Bus drivers also can report vehicles that have passed their bus illegally.

The fine for a first offense for unlawfully passing a school bus is $300. The second offense fine is $750. The fine for each subsequent offense in a five-year period is $1,000. Those issued a citation face a mandatory court appearance.

Six violation points also are assessed against a convicted driver’s license.

Also, drivers under 21 who are convicted will lose their license.

Tillman said that Colquitt County school bus drivers who see violators and can get their vehicles’ tag numbers fill out a form and the information is passed on to the 911 center.

“After that, it’s in law enforcement’s hands,” he said.

Tillman said that many of the fleet’s newer buses have improved safety systems, including LED strobe lights.

Some even have lights that spell out “STOP DO NOT PASS.”

“It’s hard to miss them,” he said.

One recent report concludes that traveling by school bus has been proved to be the safest form of travel for students, who are at greater risk while traveling in private vehicles, especially those operated by teen-aged drivers.

Children face their greatest risk when they walk up to or leave a school bus.

According to state transportation officials, an average of seven school-age passengers are killed in school bus crashes each year. But 19 are killed getting on and off buses. Most of those killed are from 5 to 7 years old.

Students are urged to walk on the sidewalk to the bus stop, or if there is no sidewalk, to walk on the left facing traffic.

While waiting for the bus, students should wait well away from the road and should not run alongside the bus while it is moving.

Those waiting on the opposite side of the road from a bus stop should wait until the bus stops, the red flashing lights are on, the stop arm is extended and all traffic has stopped before crossing the street in front of the bus.

Students should remain 12 steps away from the bus, where the driver can see them.

Tillman cautioned drivers to be especially observant in school zones before school starts and when they are letting out and to be on the lookout for buses, cars and pedestrians.

Colquitt County schools open on Monday.