State police are reminding motorists that it is illegal to pass school buses that are stopped to load or unload children following reports of such incidents on Hermon-DeKalb school district bus routes.

Drivers in the area of the Hermon-DeKalb school district can expect to see a higher police presence for the purpose of traffic enforcement, as well as traffic signs placed on State Route 11 by the NYS Department of Transportation advising motorists of school bus safety laws, police said.

“These reports indicate traffic is passing school buses on State Route 11 where there is more than one lane in the same direction while the red lights and stop signs are activated on the bus and students are getting on or off the bus,” troopers said in a released statement.

“If you're driving behind a bus, allow a greater following distance than if you were driving behind a car. It will give you more time to stop once the yellow lights start flashing.”

Troopers say you should never pass a bus from behind – or from either direction if you're on an undivided road – if it is stopped to load or unload children.

If the yellow or red lights are flashing and the stop arm is extended, traffic must also stop.

“The area 10 feet around a school bus is the most dangerous for children; stop far enough back to allow them space to safely enter and exit the bus,” the release says.

“Be alert; children often are unpredictable, and they tend to ignore hazards and take risks.”