MAHONING COUNTY, Ohio - As part of National School Bus Safety Week, the Ohio State Highway Patrol wants to remind drivers and parents what they can do to help keep children safe.

Making sure children riding buses get to and from school safely is a top priority, and it needs to be a shared partnership between the driver, the students and the motoring public. 

All this week, troopers will be out in force to raise awareness.  

"We're going to have extra patrols in school zones this week. We're having extra people following school buses watching for people who don't stop when the red lights are on," said Sgt. Barry Thompson of the Ohio State Patrol. 

One rule that confuses some drivers is what to do when a bus stops on a road with several lanes.  

"If it's more than three lanes and the bus is not going the direction you are, you do not need to stop," said Thompson.

On today's school bus, camera's and mirrors help drivers monitor everything around them.

The driver has no less than seven mirrors to monitor the children and traffic and they have cameras on the buses. 

Bus drivers also can report traffic violators.

"If the bus driver sees someone pass their red light, they can get the vehicle description and license plate and description of the driver then contact their local patrol post or police department and we can follow up on that and take enforcement," said Sgt. Thompson.

A citation can lead to a fine and even license suspension.  Bus safety also includes an annual inspection of buses by the State Patrol.

School Bus Safety Week is October 22 - 26.