School starts this week for many Sonoma County students, and police will be paying extra attention for traffic violators around schools and school buses.

CHP Officer Jon Sloat reminds drivers of these laws:

–If a school bus is flashing its red lights and/or has a stop sign out on two-lane roads, drivers going both directions must stop.

–If the bus is on the other side of a divided road, whether it’s two lanes or more, and the road has some sort of divider, such as concrete or dirt, OR is on the other side of a multi-lane road of two lanes or more in each direction, you don’t have to stop because you’re going in the opposite direction. BUT you do have to stop on divided and multi-lane roads if you’re going the same direction as the bus.

–On two-lane roads with two sets of double yellow lines in the middle, you have to stop if you’re going the same direction as the bus. You do not have to stop if you’re going the opposite direction.

Failure to stop could result in a base fine of $150 but after all of the state and county fees are tacked on, it’ll cost you $666 in Sonoma County. The DMV also warns that you could face suspension of your license for a year.

Sloat said the CHP will be “aggressively enforcing” speed limits in school zones, usually 25 mph.

Santa Rosa police also will be monitoring obedience of traffic laws by both drivers and pedestrians around schools, Sgt. Rich Celli said.

And Petaluma Police Sgt. Ken Savano said his officers will be paying particularly close attention around schools.