With school about to start across Illinois, the State Police are reminding drivers to slow down and watch out for children. In school zones, the speed limit is 20 miles per hour from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on school days when kids are present, and fines are higher for using a phone behind the wheel in those zones.

Troopers say most school bus injuries happen outside the bus, in what’s called the danger zone, when drivers fail to stop for flashing red lights and the extended stop arm. On two-lane roads, drivers in both directions must stop for a bus with its signals activated. On multi-lane roads, only traffic going the same way as the bus must stop.

The penalty for illegally passing a stopped school bus is steep with a mandatory $300 fine and a three-month license suspension for first-time offenders. Police also encourage parents to remind kids to use sidewalks, crosswalks, and to never walk between parked cars. For more information, visit the Illinois State Police website.