Police officers are on board school buses and in marked and unmarked cars today during "Operation Safe Stop."
They're looking for drivers who pass a stopped school bus.
An estimated 55 thousand motor vehicles illegally pass New York State School buses every day.
By law, drivers must stop when a school bus is stopped with its red lights are flashing.
That means the bus is picking up or dropping off students.
Julie Churnetski is Director of Transportation for the Spencerport Central School District
"We transport the most precious cargo. And when those red lights are flashing and the stop sign is out, stop means stop," she said. "You're saving a life by following the law and doing the right thing and stopping when you see a school bus stopped with its red lights on."
Motorists must stop if they are approaching the bus or overtaking it from the rear, and they also must stop across a divided or multilane highway and on school grounds.
Penalties for illegally passing a stopped school bus with its red lights flashing include fines from $250 to $400 dollars and up to 30 days in prison for a first conviction.