It's back to school time, if you have kids who walk to school or to the bus stop, you've probably worried about their safety from time to time.

And with the number of recent abductions across the country, those concerns are most likely heightened.

Fortunately, there are ways to keep them safe.

Police say you can start by trying your hardest to have an adult walk your kids. If that's not possible, make sure they walk in pairs or in a group.

Talk to them, tell them not to talk to any strangers under any circumstances, and if they do see anything suspicious, be sure to call the police.

Drivers also need to pay special attention with more kids on the roads.

Police are asking you to be aware of school zones and slow down to 20 miles an hour.

And don't forget, it's illegal to pass a stopped school bus with its lights flashing.

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School Bus Safety

Safety Tips For Children:

• When you get off, take five giant steps away from the bus, out of the danger zone.

• Cross in front of the bus, and make sure you maintain eye contact with the driver.

• Never go back for anything and never bend down near or under the bus.

Safety Tips For Parents:

• Assure your children you won't get mad if they don't go back for a jacket they've left on the bus, or school work they've dropped under a wheel.

• Encourage them to sit quietly in their seat and follow the driver's instructions on bus safety.

  Safety Tips For Motorists:
  

  • Stop when the bus's warning lights are flashing, or the stop arm comes out.

  • Share the road with the yellow bus.

  General Facts
  

  • School buses are one of the safest forms of transportation in the nation - nearly 2,000 times safer than the family car.

  • The reality of school bus safety is that more children are hurt outside a bus than inside one.

  • The child who bends over to retrieve a dropped school paper, or who walks too close to the bus while crossing the street, needs to be aware that every yellow school bus is surrounded by a danger zone.

  Source: www.nhtsa.dot.gov (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Web site) contributed to this report.