As students head back to the classroom, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reminds parents and residents to slow down, follow the speed limit and be extremely careful driving through school zones.

“Please drive like it is your child, grandchild, niece or nephew walking or riding their bike to school,” Sergeant Michael Lennig said. “Pick-up and drop-off times can be hectic, but it’s important to be patient and stay safe as children are getting to and from school. It is better to be slow than sorry.”

If you are behind a school bus with a stop sign and flashing red lights, drivers need to stop so students can safely get on and off the bus. Drivers must remain stopped while the red lights are on. Drivers in both directions must stop on any two-lane road without a median or a center turn lane.

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

-Slow down and follow the speed limit.

-Adhere to school policies and procedures for dropping off and picking up students.

-Stop for school buses. Watch for children rushing to catch the bus or exiting.

-Whenever possible, avoid blocking the crosswalk while waiting to make a right-hand turn.

-For parents with children walking or biking to school, teach them safe walking and riding behaviors, such as looking both ways before crossing the street, using sidewalks when available, and crossing at marked crosswalks with stop signs or signals.

Share your thoughts about school zones by participating in the Go Safely Movement, a call-to-action traffic safety survey from the California Office of Traffic Safety. Take the survey at gosafelyca.org.