Pay attention to school bell

The (Alton, Ill.) Telegraph: That almost-audible sigh of relief is a collective reminder from parents across Illinois that school is back in session.

It also means motorists need to be especially vigilant and watch for children still under the spell of summer’s carefree spirit.

Hundreds of students from preschool through high school will fill the streets each morning and afternoon once again. Some will be on foot, others on bicycle and many more will be riding school buses.

The problem is that schoolchildren are not always predictable in their actions and adults have to be extra-mindful as a result. This is especially critical in school zones, where buses are loading and unloading.

Drivers, watch for flashing yellow or red lights on school buses. Yellow is a warning the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children; red signals the bus has stopped and children are getting on or off. It is illegal in most every situation to pass a bus that has stopped to let children on or off and foolishly tempting fate to speed up when the lights flash yellow simply to try to beat the red.

Keep your mind on what’s going on around and put the cell phone down (they’re illegal now in most school zones anyway).