With the start of a new school year, the Albert Lea Police Department is urging parents, children and drivers to be aware of bus safety laws to prevent potential school bus wrecks.

According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, about 72 percent of the nation’s school bus fatalities take place outside of the bus. Drivers can help promote the safety of school bus riders by knowing the laws of traffic flow around buses.

The two most common mistakes people make when it comes to buses are failing to stop at a bus arm when it is extended and driving around the right side of a bus when it’s stopping, said Shari Danzeisen, of the Minnesota School Bus Operators Association, in a news release.

Albert Lea Police Lt. J.D. Carlson said within the city during the 2007-08 school year there were 39 school bus violations. So far this year there has been one.

To prevent any further violations, Albert Lea police are urging families to speak with their children about bus safety and are asking motorists to pay attention to bus safety laws.

“Our community’s children are counting on you to ensure their safety through your awareness,” Carlson said.

The release stated that children who know the proper procedures of where they can wait for a bus and how to walk around one can have a “better chance at beating the odds of becoming the victim of a potential accident. Motorists who become more aware also can help with school bus safety.”

Parents need to ensure each school morning that their child makes it safely to the school entrance. This is true for children who walk to school, children who ride the bus or children who ride with parents.

“Often families are so focused on what book needs to get into the backpack, or what’s the school lunch that day, that distractions come easily in the midst of traffic and bus riders waiting at bus stops,” the release said.

Anyone who is uncertain about bus laws or regulations may contact the Albert Lea Police Department at 411 Broadway Ave. S, Albert Lea, MN 56007, (507) 377-5210.