Kids will be returning to school in the next few weeks, and that means school buses will be back on the roads. Its no secret that there are drivers who get frustrated getting stuck behind a bus while trying to get to work or maybe just find it to be inconvenient. We are only human.

But what we all need to remember and remind ourselves is that getting children on the bus as well as to and from school safely is the most important thing.

In order to keep you and your kids safe, it is important that you know and understand that there are rules we must all follow during our travels.

In a recent Twitter post for School Bus Safety Week, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development released a great visual of rules to follow in different situations when it comes to school buses.

According to the DOTD visual, these are the rules of the road you need to know:

1. Two Lanes

Vehicles traveling in each direction are required to stop when the bus's red lights are flashing.

2. Three Lanes

When the highway has a center turning lane with one travel lane on each side, vehicles traveling in each direction are required to stop when the bus's red lights are flashing.

3. Four Lanes

Vehicles traveling in each direction are required to stop when the bus's red lights are flashing.

These first three rules essentially mean that when the flashing red lights come on and the stop sign on the side of the bus comes out, vehicles both approaching and following the bus must stop.

4. Divided Highway

• When the highway has a grass median or other physical barriers, only traffic moving in the same direction as the bus is required to stop with the bus's red lights are flashing. Oncoming traffic should proceed with caution.
• When the highway has a center turning lane with two travel lanes on each side, only traffic moving in the same direction as the bus is required to stop when the bus's red lights are flashing. Oncoming traffic should proceed with caution.

The best part of the LA DOTD's post is that you have examples of exactly what each rule means. Again, the most important thing for all of us to remember is that the safety of our children comes first.

If you are looking for any more information about road safety or other need-to-know information, you can visit the Louisiana DOTD website or give them a call at 1-877-4LA-DOTD (1-877-452-3683).