A Grant School District No. 3 bus's amber lights flash as it approaches a stop on West Main Street in John Day.

Red lights on school buses from Grant School District No. 3 have been violated 16 times from Aug. 29 through Sept. 29.

So far, at least one driver who ran red lights on a school bus received a ticket from a police officer.

Failure to stop for bus safety lights is a Class A traffic infraction with a presumptive fine of $435, maximum penalty of $2,000 for individuals and $4,000 for corporations.

National School Bus Safety Week is Oct. 17-21. With 400 students riding the district’s school buses each day, transportation coordinator Cyndi Nelson said she would like to highlight safety concerns.

“I’d like to heighten the awareness of bus safety lights,” she said.

She said there is a common misconception when it comes to bus lights.

“The amber lights are a warning the bus is going to stop,” she said. “My advice is for traffic to stop in all directions. Don’t try to beat the light.”

Nelson said the amber lights flash while the bus driver checks traffic to make sure it’s safe for students to load or unload.

The red flashing lights and stop sign on the bus activate once the school bus door opens.

“Never assume children are only coming or going from the right side of the bus,” Nelson said. “They may cross in front of the bus, to cross the street.”

She said, although they conduct bus safety training for students twice a year, children can be unpredictable.

“They may drop a book or see a family member at the bus stop and not wait for the driver’s signal,” she said, adding the universal signal is a thumbs up to show it’s safe for children — and parents or guardians walking with them — to cross the street.

One trouble spot on the routes includes the area west of Chester’s Thriftway and Ace Hardware in John Day.

Nelson said some drivers mistakenly assume they can pass by the bus because there is a center lane on Main Street.

“Traffic needs to stop in all directions, and no entering or exiting business driveways,” she said. “Traffic in the opposite direction needs to stop, even if there is a center turning lane.”

Once the children have loaded or unloaded, wait.

“Even after the stop sign goes in and lights are no longer flashing, wait for the bus to get moving,” Nelson said. “A bus has a danger zone. Try to stay out of that, until you see the bus moving and children dispersed to where they’re supposed to be.”

There are seven bus routes in the district, logging 1,000 miles a day with stops from Indian Creek, east of John Day, to Widows Creek Road, west of Mt. Vernon, and south to Seneca.

Buses for kindergarten through high school grades are out as early as 6 a.m. and as late as 5:30 p.m., not including field trips and sporting events.

“It is our No. 1 purpose as a school bus driver to transport children safely,” Nelson said.

She said students are also expected to be safe, responsible and respectful as they wait for the bus, and she urges the public to call if they see any unsafe behavior.

For more information, contact Nelson at 541-575-1280, ext. 29.