School is starting in districts around Northeast Georgia over the next two weeks and that means school buses will soon be back on the roads for the first time in more than two months.
That will make the roads more crowded, but it also causes concerns for local officials like Hall County Schools Transportation Director Clay Hobbs.
"The public will get used to the bus stops, we hope, but they won't be used to them next Friday and probably the following week," Hobbs said. "The start of school is always the time that gives us the most anxiety because it is the most dangerous part. The public isn't used to seeing the buses on the road. The key to it is to just drive slower."
Hobbs said the danger mainly comes when students are getting on the buses in the morning and off the buses in the afternoons. He said it's important to remember if you're driving near a bus that it could stop at any time.
"Whenever you see a yellow school bus, please understand that there is always a possibility that children are going to be present at the bus stops," Hobbs said. "Once the lights start flashing on that bus, that means children are about to enter the roadway."
All traffic is required by law to stop when a bus stops and extends its stop sign. The only exception to that law is if a vehicle is on the opposite side of a divided highway. If the road is not divided, all vehicles must stop until the bus starts moving again.
Hobbs said Hall County Schools are still looking for more bus drivers and those wishing to submit applications can do so on the county's website. Students return to school in Hall County on Friday, August 5.
To hear more from Hall County Schools Transportation Director Clay Hobbs on school bus safety, click play on the audio above.
