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It’s Back to School! The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Lake Elsinore Station Encourages the Public to Stay Aware and Stay Safe in School Zones.

Lake Elsinore and Wildomar, Calif. – As students head back to school, the communities around them are going to be busier with increased traffic.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Lake Elsinore Station wants to remind everyone to stay aware and stay safe with the increased traffic.

There are going to be a lot more parents, students and staff than residents have seen in more than a year,” Deputy Rolando Lopez said. “Please drive carefully in school zones, especially during pick-up and drop-off times.”

This also includes remembering what to do around school buses.

“The safest thing to do is to stop when you encounter a school bus with a stop sign and flashing red lights,” Deputy Lopez said. “There are going to be students getting on and off.”

California law requires drivers to stop when a school bus is in front of them and extends its stop sign. Drivers must remain stopped if the red lights are on, and drivers in both directions are required to stop on any two-lane road without a median or a center turn lane.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department offers the following tips to stay safe around schools:

• Slow down.
• Follow all school rules for dropping off or picking up students.
• Stop for school buses. Watch for children.
• Whenever possible, avoid blocking the crosswalk while waiting to make a right-hand turn.
• Always look both ways before crossing the street. Make sure cars see you.
• Walk on sidewalks, when available. Cross at marked crosswalks, preferably at stop signs or signals.
• Watch for cars entering or backing out of driveways or leaving parking spaces.

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