I hope your day started off smoothly. And I hope your kids made it safely, with no tears, to their respective classrooms. Summer vacation is officially over!

The morning commute, I know, was pretty hairy for a lot of people. How many days left until the next break? Just remember, this afternoon those buses will be out there once again to take the kids home.

Here’s what the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles had to say about the buses on the roadways:

Remember, when you see the flashing red lights and the stop bar, you must stop and allow children to get on or off the bus. Here are some other tips to remember:

* School buses are one of the safest vehicles on the road.
* Most school bus incidents happen off the bus, not on the bus.
* If you have to cross the street in front of the bus, walk on the sidewalk or along the side of the road to a point at least five giant steps (10 feet) ahead of the bus before you cross. Be sure that the bus driver can see you, and you can see the bus driver.
* When the bus approaches, stand at least five giant steps (10 feet) away from the curb, and line up away from the street.
* School buses don’t have seat belts in them because they have a built-in occupant protection system known as “compartmentalization,” which is a system of seat height, seat length and padding, among other requirements. Compartmentalization is like an egg carton protecting a child.

We all need a refresher course on bus stop and bus safety. It has been a rather busy summer. Enjoy the start of the school year and have a safe one!