A big, red, rock-eater! It's a children's riddle - to be sure.

Now, here's a question for adults: What is BIG and YELLOW and has RED FLASHING LIGHTS? Do I need to tell you it's a stopped School Bus' Of course not! We see them on the roads 5 days a week, 9 months of the year, and sometimes even during the summer.

Did you know that school buses are one of the safest vehicles on the road? It's true. Even so, there are too many preventable accidents, injuries and even deaths.

What the public may not realize is this: most accidents causing injuries to students (our children, our future) happen outside the bus. Yes, that's right - outside of the bus! There is a lot of "concern" and even a push to get seatbelts mandated on school buses. But, in my opinion, there should be more concern for the student's safety before getting on and after getting off the bus!

School bus drivers are properly trained in the correct (and safe) procedure to pick-up and discharge their passengers. The drivers also instruct the students how to get on and off the bus, about crossing the street, and to watch out for other motorists.

It is important to note that, for the most part, motorists are respectful of the "big yellow." It's sad to say, believe-it-or-not, there are some drivers around who are more concerned about their need to "get there" than they are for the safety of our children.

School Bus drivers all over the country are frustrated by the fact that drivers who "run their reds" continue to do so - sometimes on a daily basis. They are difficult to identify although they, on occasion, are able to get a license plate number. And when they do, enforcement and prosecution seldom results from the violation. (1)

But, in another perspective, some motorists are just uncertain about when and where to stop and when not to stop for a school bus loading or unloading passengers.

You can find the answers in your state's Digest of Motor Vehicle Laws, Stopping for a School Bus (2)section.

For Ohio, my state - here's the "short version." The school bus driver will activate the amber lights three hundred (300) feet prior to a pick-up or drop-off point. The flashing yellow lights are a warning signal to motorists that the bus will be stopping. Once the bus is completely stopped, and before opening the entrance door, the driver will put the bus in neutral and check the mirrors for traffic. Opening the door will activate the RED flashing lights, which are a signal for motorists to stop. A stop sign will also extend from the driver's side of the bus below the window.

To put it simply, and in plain English, the rules for motorists to stop for a school bus loading/unloading in the state of Ohio are as follows:

On a two-lane roadway, all traffic stops ten feet from the bus (both oncoming and those traveling in the same direction.)

On a four-lane highway, the traffic heading in the same direction as the bus must stop (two lanes) ten feet from the bus. The oncoming traffic is not required to stop. (Discharge of passengers on a four-lane highway only occurs on the residence side of the road - no street crossing)

Once stopped for school buses loading or unloading vehicles must stay completely stopped until the flashing red lights are deactivated and the bus is put in motion again.

In a nutshell: flashing yellow - (caution) prepare to stop; flashing red - stop! An easy way to remember if you are required to stop is to remember the 2-lanes. If it is a 2-lane road, all traffic must stop. If you are in the 2-lanes going the same direction of the bus (on a 4-lane road) you must stop. Two-to-stop!

These laws vary only slightly from state-to-state but are basically very similar. The only exception might be that all motorists on a 4-lane roadway must stop unless the highway is divided by a median. In California, all traffic stops and the school bus driver crosses the students.

We all know that there is nothing worse than being behind a school bus when you are on the way to work, especially if you're in a rush or when you are driving home after a long, stressful day on the job. School buses are slow, they make a lot of stops, and sometimes the duration at a stop is increased by the necessity of operating a wheelchair lift for one of the passengers.

Here are a few tips to help relieve that additional stress of having to wait for a bus to load or unload passengers.

1) If you are delayed several days in a row by a school bus at about the same time and the same place, try leaving a few minutes earlier or a few minutes later.

2) Try taking another route, if possible. You could even drive around the block and get back on the road you are traveling on by the time the bus completes its stop.

3) Be patient. Remember, these are our children, our future. Consider how you would feel if the bus ahead of you was carrying your child or children.

4) Know the traffic laws regarding when and where you have to stop for a school bus that is picking up or dropping off passengers.

5) Know when you don't have to stop. This can confuse other motorists as well and might cause an accident.

So, what is BIG and YELLOW and has RED, flashing lights? Be sure you know when to stop when you see one! It's for the safety of all our children and for their future.

(1) Incidents reported from several drivers available on request.
(2) Direct quote from The Ohio Digest of Motor Vehicle Laws available.