Sheriff reminds people to walk, drive carefully

A safety reminder issued by the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office for the back-to-school season reminds children and pedestrians to be cautious on roadways and reminds motorists to be aware of pedestrians.
When getting on and off the bus, children must check to see if any cars are passing on the shoulder and look both ways when crossing the road. Before crossing in front of the bus, children must step away and make eye contact with the bus driver.
Pedestrians must cross roads only at intersections or crosswalks and obey all traffic signs and signals. When a car approaches, pedestrians are advised to make eye contact with the driver before crossing and take extra care when crossing multiple lanes to ensure all cars have stopped.
Motorists must stop at least 20 feet from a school bus with red flashing lights and the stop sign out, whether the person is approaching from behind or from the opposite direction.
Motorists also are required to slow down around schools, stop for crossing guards and yield to pedestrians at marked and unmarked crosswalks.