Motorists are once again sharing the roadways with school buses, and local officials are hoping drivers remember the safety laws in place when they approach a school bus.

Elizabethton City Schools students attended a ‘half-day’ on Thursday and will go their first full day of school on Monday. On that day, the students of Carter County schools will also spend their first day in the classroom for the new school year.

As the school year commences, Carter County Schools Director of Transportation Wayne Sams hopes motorists will keep the safety of buses and the children in their minds.

Under state law, it is a crime to pass a stopped school bus that is loading or unloading students. According to state law, when a driver of a vehicle meets or approaches a bus that has stopped to pick up or drop off children, that driver must stop before reaching the bus and may not proceed until either the school bus resumes motion, the bus driver signals the stopped driver to proceed, or the bus lights and stop sign are no longer activated.

This law applies to not only regular two-lane roadways but also to highways that feature a continuous turn lane.

The only exception to the law is for those highways where the lanes are separated by a physical barrier such as a concrete divider or a grass median.

“Anywhere there is not a grass median or a concrete median they are supposed to stop,” Sams said.

Vehicles passing stopped school buses remains a problem in the county, Sams said.

“One of our worst places is still Highway 91 in Stoney Creek,” Sams said.

He feels the problem could be that people do not understand the law and believe that because the northbound and southbound lanes are divided by a turning lane they are not required to stop. Other problem areas are Big Springs and Coal Chute, Sams said.

Last year, Sams said the Tennessee Highway Patrol worked with his department and increased patrols and checks to improve safety and inform drivers of the law.

“But they can’t patrol it all the time,” Sams said.

In recent years, the Tennessee Highway Patrol has beefed up monitoring school zones and bus routes to watch for motorists who are not obeying the traffic laws regarding stopped school buses and school zone speed limits.

Under state law, it is a Class A misdemeanor to fail to stop for a school bus that is picking up or letting students off. It is punishable by a fine of not less than $250 and not more than $1,000.

In addition to watching for stopped buses, motorists are cautioned to watch for children who may be walking to school or waiting at bus stops. In the county, morning bus runs begin at 6:30 a.m. while afternoon bus runs begin around 2:30 p.m.