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Watch out for kids

School bus drivers must watch in shock, fear and anger as motorists ignore flashing red lights and extended stop sign arms to pass buses. It happens frequently, despite law enforcement agencies’ focused attempts to stop it.

That puts children at great risk as they cross streets and highways, either to get on buses or as they disembark to go home.

Last week, five American children were killed by motorists.

Three siblings — a 9-year-old girl and her twin 6-year-old brothers — were killed when they were struck by a pickup truck near Rochester, Indiana. The children were crossing the road to get on their school bus, which was stopped with red lights flashing and a stop sign displayed.

A 24-year-old woman who was driving the truck has been arrested. She insists she just didn’t notice the bus.

A similar situation occurred in Baldwyn, Mississippi. A 9-year-old boy died.

And in Franklin Township, Pennsylvania, a 7-year-old boy was killed at his school bus stop by a driver. (Correction: An earlier version of this editorial said this was a hit-and-run, but police later said they do not think it was.)

All five children died because drivers did not care enough for children to slow down just a little and watch for stopped school buses and/or children on streets and highways.

Also a frequent occurrence is motorists zipping through plainly marked school zones — with children present — at well over the posted speed limit.

It is fortunate that there have been no serious accidents in our area involving stopped school buses or school zones during the past several years. We hope our luck does not run out.

Please, pay enough attention that when a big, yellow school bus with flashing red lights and a stop sign is on the road in front of you, you see it.

The same goes for school zones, where children are present at the same times every weekday.

This is not an inconvenience. It’s a life saver.

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