To ensure safety for students when they’re traveling to and from school, police across Michigan will be ramping up patrols looking for drivers illegally passing school buses as part of Operation Safe Stop next week.

Michigan State Police First Lieutenant DuWayne Robinson out of Paw Paw tells us passing a school bus when you’re not supposed to is a serious infraction. He wants drivers to be alert for a bus that’s slowing down and flashing its yellow lights.

“If you’re behind the bus and you see the yellow lights flashing, prepare to stop,” Robinson said. “Slow down because it won’t be long before the red lights take the place of the yellow lights.”

When the red lights go on, stop and wait.

“The stop arm goes out and you should stop at least 20 feet from the bus and just remain there patient until the lights go off, stop arm goes in, and then proceed cautiously.”

Robinson says drivers should think of a school bus with its red lights activated in the same way as they do about a stop sign.

Illegally passing a school bus can result in a $500 fine. He says illegally passing a school bus and injuring someone could result in a $1,000 fine and a year in jail. If someone’s killed, that’s 15 years in jail.

Operation Safe Stop will run from October 20 through October 24.