A new school year brings excitement, fresh beginnings, and busy roads. As thousands of students return to classrooms across Hillsborough County, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is reminding every driver to slow down, stay alert, and stop for school buses.

Whether you're a parent dropping off your child, a student walking to school, or a commuter traveling through a school zone, every decision behind the wheel matters.

Sheriff Chad Chronister has zero tolerance for drivers who ignore school bus safety laws and put children at risk.

“Keeping our children safe starts with drivers making smart decisions behind the wheel,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “When a school bus stops, every driver has a responsibility to stop. No destination is worth risking a child’s life.”

Tips for Drivers:

• Slow down and obey school zone speed limits.
• Never pass a school bus that is stopped with its red lights flashing.
• Stay focused and drive distraction-free.
• Watch for children walking, biking, and crossing the street.
• No destination is worth risking a child's life.

Tips for Parents:

• Teach kids how to safely board and exit the bus.
• Stay at least 10 feet from the bus until it's safe to cross.
• Put phones away and stay alert near traffic.
• Leave early and expect heavier traffic.
• Follow directions from crossing guards, deputies, and school staff.

To help protect students, school buses throughout Hillsborough County are equipped with safety cameras that record vehicles that illegally pass stopped school buses while children are boarding or exiting.

Here's how the process works:

• Cameras capture video of the violation, including the vehicle and license plate.
• The footage is securely submitted for review.
• The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office reviews every potential violation.
• If deputies determine a violation occurred, a citation is issued by mail to the registered owner of the vehicle.

These cameras exist for one purpose: protecting children during one of the most vulnerable parts of their school day.

Watch video to see how the BusPatrol Program works

When a school bus activates its amber flashing lights, it is preparing to stop.

Drivers should:

• Slow down immediately.
• Prepare to stop.

When the bus stops with its red lights or stop signs flashing, drivers must stop.

You may only pass a stopped school bus if there is a raised median, an unpaved median at least five feet wide, or a physical barrier separating opposing lanes of traffic.

The diagram helps illustrate when drivers are required to stop and when they may proceed.

Two Lane: Vehicles traveling in both directions MUST stop.
Multi-Lane Paved Across: Vehicles traveling in both directions MUST stop.
Divided Hightway: Unpaved space 5 ft + /raided median / physical barrier. Vehicles behind bus MUST stop. Vehicles traveling in the opposite direction must proceed with caution.

If you illegally pass a stopped school bus:

• BusPatrol Citation
  • $225 civil penalty
  • No points added to your driver's license
• Deputy-Issued Citation
  • $368 citation
  • Four points added to your driver's license