CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) -- The next school year is right around the corner, and the Champaign Police Department is reminding motorists of how they should be driving in and around school zones.

For Champaign Unit 4 Schools, the new school year starts on Tuesday, Aug. 12. Champaign Police will be spending a lot of time in Unit 4 school zones as students get back into the classrooms.

The area around schools will be busy with pedestrians, buses, parent vehicles and other types of traffic. This is especially true during drop-off and pickup times.

As a safety reminder, the Champaign Police Department asked drivers to slow down and put down their phones as they travel the streets in and around schools

According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, an average of 17 scho

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