Many Kentucky motorists heard a timely school bus safety message while listening to the radio recently.

During the back-to-school period, the public service announcement (PSA) from the Kentucky State Police reminded drivers to watch for school buses — and to stop when they are loading or unloading students.

“It is illegal to pass a bus that has its stop sign out and red lights activated,” Trooper Corey King says in the PSA. “Remember: Stay alert so kids don’t get hurt.”

King, a public affairs officer for the Kentucky State Police, told SBF that the spot aired on major radio stations across the state. He said that it’s important to provide seasonal safety reminders for drivers, and the car radio is an effective way to deliver the messages.

“Motorists who drive daily, like many people, become complacent and really need to be reminded that not only will kids be standing along the roadways, but now these motorists will see an influx of heavier traffic during peak transportation hours,” King said. “There are so many distractions inside a vehicle that one of the best ways of getting to these complacent motorists ... is getting on the airwaves and taking the message direct to them.”

King’s contributions to school bus safety also include providing training for school bus operations in the counties around Henderson, Kentucky. He covers such topics as substance abuse, distracted driving, and relevant laws.

“We have a group of seven counties that meet just before school starts, and that’s when I’m usually invited to their three-day training,” King said.

The Kentucky school bus safety PSA is available here.

Motorists in Kentucky also recently got a visual reminder about the need to stop for school buses: Across the state, 51 billboards showed a stop arm with the message "It's not JUST a stop sign, it's a child's life."