GEORGIA, USA — Central Georgia students are heading back to school to hit the books, so make sure you're hitting the breaks when you're near a stopped school bus.
In most cases, if you're behind a school bus with its flashing lights and extended stop arm, you must stop if you're going in the same direction and not in the same lane.
The Georgia Department of Education states on its website, "All drivers are required to stop when meeting or overtaking a stopped school bus that has its red lights flashing and its stop arm extended when loading or unloading passengers."
The graphic below shows each type of situation you could run into while driving near a stopped school bus.
On a two-lane road, drivers going in either direction must stop.
If you're on a multi-lane road paved across with no median, you also must stop no matter which direction you're going.
Drivers on multi-lane roads with grass, dirt or a barrier median can continue driving but must use caution if they're traveling in the opposite direction as the stopped school bus. However, drivers traveling in the same direction must stop.
Drivers who fail to follow the school bus laws in Georgia face harsher punishments since Gov. Brian Kemp signed Addy's Law in April.
"Keep your eyes open and watch for the sign, the stop arm, and the flashing lights," Peach County Technology Director Jacob Gresham said in April. 13WMAZ talked to him when Addy's Law was signed.
The law is named after 8-year-old Adalynn Pierce who was hit and killed trying to get to her bus on a Thursday morning in February.
Her family advocated for stricter punishments after she died.
Now, Addy's Law is one of the toughest in the nation.
"Our goal is not to punish people, but I do think the increased focus on that safety will help," Gresham said,
Georgia's $1,000 fine is tied for the country's largest minimum fine.
Utah’s legislature also passed a bill to increase the minimum fine to $1,000 this year. It took effect in May, and Georgia's law took effect July 1.
More specifically, Addy’s Law would put Georgia among the two states with the highest minimum fines for passing a school bus with its lights on.
Georgia’s law also applies to those fines that can be levied based just on evidence from school bus cameras – another reason to be very careful driving around school buses.