WORTHINGTON, Ohio (WCMH) — Schools across central Ohio are preparing to head back to school, which means students will be lined up at bus stops.

As school buses are back on the roads, it’s important to know when you are and are not required to stop. It mainly comes down to how many lanes there are. If it’s two lanes, all vehicles are required to stop. However, if it’s four lanes, only the vehicles behind the bus need to stop. One thing to note is children are allowed to cross up to three lanes of traffic.

“It’s important to remember that kids are kids; sometimes they’re so excited to go to school that they aren’t going to be thinking about the drivers,” Worthington Police Officer Jennifer Farmer said.

When you’re following behind a bus and you see those red flashing lights, it means the bus driver is getting ready to stop. Those red flashing lights mean drivers should begin to slow down and then come to a complete stop when the stop arm comes out.

“Please be aware,” Farmer said. “I know in this day and age with distracted driving, it’s not worth it. These kids are trying to have a good school year and we just want our kids safe and sound getting home and getting to school in a safe manner.”

It’s also important to remember that most buses now have cameras and if drivers choose not to obey the rules and the camera picks up the license plate, they could be pulled over or face fines.

Drivers are asked to contact their local police department if they are unsure of the rules.