Ottawa Police say they'll be keeping a close eye out for drivers blowing through school zones and past school buses.
Const. Jon Hall with the Traffic Escort and Enforcement Section says drivers must stop for buses.
"(When) those lights are flashing, just come to a stop," said Hall. "If you're meeting them head to head, you've got to come to a stop, unless there is a median separating you and that school bus. If you're coming from behind a school bus and the lights are on, come to that stop immediately."
Hall said sometimes drivers are on auto-pilot and kids can be unpredictable.
"Have your head on a swivel," he said. "Drive consciously. I always tell people don't drive properly because it would be illegal not to do so. Drive properly because it's the right thing to do, because you're taking ownership of your community and you're setting the example for others."
He said with thousands of kids heading back to school Tuesday, they'll also be looking for drivers who are speeding in school zones or rolling through stop signs.
Hall said when someone is committing an infraction in a school zone, they will not hand out warnings.
"We pretty much charge nowadays for any offences in the school areas," he said. "That includes not just in front of schools, but we're focusing on areas where kids are walking to and from or biking to and from (school.)"