DOUGHERTY COUNTY, Ga. (WALB) – With the new school year beginning, the Dougherty County Sheriff’s Office is reminding drivers about the importance of school bus safety.

In a post shared to their Facebook page, the department emphasized that the safety of students—especially when boarding and exiting school buses—is a top priority.

They also clarified the laws regarding when vehicles must stop for a school bus:

• Two-Lane Road: All vehicles traveling in both directions must stop when a school bus is loading or unloading students with visual signals activated.
• Multi-Lane (Not Divided) Road: All vehicles traveling in both directions must stop when the school bus visual signals are in use.
• Divided Highway (with grass, concrete, median wall, or any other physical barrier): Only vehicles traveling behind the school bus must stop. Vehicles approaching from the opposite direction may continue driving, but must proceed with caution.

The sheriff’s office concluded with this reminder: “Let’s have a safe and wonderful school year—both in the classroom and on the roads!”

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