State police will ride along with students and strengthen patrols beginning April 18 in an effort to reduce unsafe passing of school buses, according to St. Lawrence County Traffic Safety officials.

While school bus travel is safer than riding in passenger vehicles, the greatest risk to children is while they are approaching or leaving the bus.

A survey was conducted during three days last month in several schools in Franklin and St. Lawrence counties.

There were 26 illegal passes reported by school bus personnel.

In 2012 police issued 1,316 tickets for passing stopped school buses and additional 1,201 tickets during the week-long initiative known as “Operation Safe Stop.”

New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law requires motorists approaching a school bus from either direction to come to a complete stop when the bus is stopped and has its red flashing lights engaged.

The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee estimates that on any given school day, New York motorists illegally pass stopped school buses over 50,000 times.

Those lights, which are now augmented with an extending “Stop” arm, indicate that children may be boarding or leaving the bus.

All motorists must stop, whether approaching the school bus from the front, or overtaking it from the rear.

This is true even when on divided highways and on school grounds.

In order to reduce chances of an accident, the commission offered the following tips.

• Plan your trip. Buses usually travel their routes at approximately the same time each day. Try leaving 15 minutes earlier, or look for another route to your destination if you find you are repeatedly getting “stuck” behind a school bus.

• Stay back several yards from the back of the bus, and be prepared to stop at any time.

• Never pass a stopped school bus on the left.

• Look for children at bus stops and those running to bus stops. Watch for children who cross in front of the bus when the bus is stopped.

• By law school buses are required to stop at railroad crossings.

Drivers who violate the law put the children in grave danger. First time offenders face $250-$400 fines, five license points, and possible jail time. Fines and penalties are increased for subsequent offenses.