National School Bus Safety Week runs Monday through Oct. 24.

"This year's theme, 'Avoid Harm, Obey The Stop Arm,' reminds motorists that they are required to stop for stopped school buses displaying flashing red lights and an extended stop arm," said a news release from the Ohio state police.

State law requires that drivers approaching a stopped school bus from either direction must stop at least 10 feet away while the red lights are flashing and the arm is extended. On a four-lane road, only traffic going in the same direction as the bus has to stop.

The release noted that there were 1,751 crashes involving school buses in Ohio during 2008, killing eight people. The patrol urged drivers to watch for children walking to the bus stop when backing out of a garage or driveway.

For more information on National School Bus Safety Week, visit the National Association for Pupil Transportation Web site.  

(The preceding article was published by the Cleveland Plain Dealer.)