A requirement to come to an immediate stop at this point is, however, not the general rule. Take special care in school zones and when sharing the road with school buses; do everything in your power to protect our children. Penalties increase for subsequent violations. Learn more in the Washington state driver guide. You must always stop if you are moving in the same direction as the bus and you must remain stopped until the stop signal is withdrawn. School bus drivers believing a motorist has unlawfully passed the stopped bus will, if possible, report the license plate number to the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction over the area where the alleged violation occurred. Please give me your opinion. Two Lane Roadway With A Center Turning Lane: When a school bus stops for passengers, all traffic from both directions must stop. We also offer parents safety information about school buses and traffic safety rules for drivers and children to follow near bus stops and school zones. But in every other state, as long as you are on a non-divided roadway, you must stop for a bus unloading school children. I was on a back road in Rumson NJ and came to an intersection. Learn more in the North Dakota drivers license manual. When a school bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children, the driver of the bus will activate flashing yellow lights. Youtube The use of two different colors, yellow as a warning, red as a stop or prohibition is considered by NHTSA to be a better solution than the old one. Do not pass the school bus until: It is not necessary to stop when passing a school bus on a different road or when on a controlled-access highway where the bus is If the vehicle that is involved in the violation is registered in the name of a rental or leasing company and the vehicle is rented or leased to another person at the time of the violation, the rental or leasing company may rebut the inference of quilt by providing the law enforcement officer or prosecuting authority with a copy of the rental or lease agreement in effect at the time of the violation. You may not proceed until the bus resumes motion, or signaled by the school bus driver to proceed or the visual signals are no longer actuated. You must also stop for a stopped school bus which is receiving or discharging students on school property or private property. These warning lights may also be lighted at other times while the bus is transporting school children. They could run into the road at any time. Be sure to slow down, look out for kids . 2. Stop your vehicle and wait until the school bus resumes motion or until signaled by the driver or police officer to proceed. Flashing overhead yellow lights: Slow down and prepare to stop,. They will also face a mandatory suspension of three months. After letting children on or off, the bus driver must turn off all flashing warning lamps. Be especially alert every time you see a school bus. When you apply for a drivers license, you must certify, by signing the application, that you understand that you must stop for a school bus and are aware of the penalties for violating this law. You are required to stop for school buses that are loading or unloading students. I should have this updated in the next week or two. The driver motions for you to proceed, OR, The visual signals are no longer activated such as the red, You are signaled by the driver to proceed; or. Exception: You may pass a school bus with activated flashing red lights, only if there is a physical barrier or separate roadways between your vehicle and the school bus. As well as the upper alternating red flashing lights, school buses use a stop sign arm on the driver's side of the bus. Anticipate the bus stopping at its pickup and drop off points. For each subsequent like offense occurring within three years, such person shall be fined not less than $115.00 nor more than $575.00, and imprisoned not less than 60 days nor more than six months. The operator of a motor vehicle on a highway providing two or more lanes in each direction need not stop when he meets a school bus which is traveling in the opposite direction even though the school bus is stopped and its red signal lights are flashing. Baltimore Sun. Learn more in the Rhode Island driving manual. When you stop for a school bus, you cannot drive again until the red lights stop flashing or when the bus driver or a traffic officer signals the you can proceed. The problem here, of course, is that some drivers ignore the warning, speed up and try to beat the red lights. They will be activated approximately 10 seconds prior to the overhead flashing red lights to warn drivers of approaching vehicles that a stop to load or unload school children is about to be made. A driver approaching a school bus from the opposite direction must come to a complete stop and remain stopped until the stop signal arm is no longer extended and the flashing lights are turned off or the school bus driver signals vehicles to pass. If the school bus is on a street with a raised or center median, or with more . A vehicle that approaches a stopped school bus that is displaying flashing red warning lights, must stop not less than 20 feet from the bus and remain stopped until the bus resumes motion or the operator extinguishes the flashing red warning lights. The yellow lights go straight to red when the bus has stopped, and the door opens. The above is a general answer but should not be considered specific legal advice for your case. When a school bus is signalling its amber lights, that means the bus is preparing to stop within several hundred feet. If a school bus is displaying alternating flashing red light signals, visible from the front or rear you need to stop immediately before reaching the bus. YOU MUST STOP FOR A SCHOOL BUS, regardless of your direction, whenever the bus is stopped and Less than 1% of all traffic fatalities involve children on school transportation vehicles. Learn more in the Florida driver handbook. The law enforcement agency will attempt to determine the identity of the driver, and if the identity is established, the reporting of the license plate number by the school bus driver establishes probable cause upon which to issue a citation. Does not yellow indicate caution when driving and with other activities. The light is about to turn red. When a school bus is on the highway and is about to pick up or discharge students, the school bus driver activates the alternately flashing yellow lights and begins slowing down. Any parking lot located on school property, Watch for children playing or congregating near bus stops, Be aware that children arriving late for the bus may dart into the street without looking, Be prepared to stop when yellow flashing lights appear on the bus, which warn drivers the bus will be coming to a stop. You must stop your vehicle at least 20 feet before reaching a school bus that is stopped with its red lights flashing whether it is on your side of the road, the opposite side of the road, or at an intersection, you are approaching. Required fields are marked *. When approaching a school bus traveling in the opposite direction, a driver must slow the vehicle to 20 miles per hour or less when yellow lights are seen, and be prepared to stop when the stop arm is extended and red lights flash. Get it wrong and you could face a . One of the many issues facing school bus laws (and many other driving laws) is that each state has their own rules. Red flashing lights and extended stop arms indicate the bus has stopped and children are getting on or off. Fines are doubled for anyone that passes a stopped school bus. You are not required to stop for a school bus with its red lights flashing if it is on the opposite side of a separated roadway. Why didnt the bus driver have on flashers or stop sign if he IS stopped to avoid confusing drivers. Stop and remain stopped until all persons are clear and the bus moves again. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE After the school bus red lights have stopped flashing and the stop arm is no longer visible, watch for children along the side of the road and do not proceed until it is safe, after they have completely left the roadway. Although it is not illegal to pass a bus with amber lights flashing, amber lights are immediately followed by red lights, so taking action to pass or meet a bus with amber lights flashing means that the driver risks passing or . Solid Yellow Light. Drivers must stop on a four lane roadway when it is not separated by a barrier. Yellow flashing lights indicate that the bus is preparing to load or unload children. Small school buses (with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less) must be equipped with lap or lap/shoulder belts at all designated seating positions. If the bus is stopped on a street or road which has four or more lanes, only traffic proceeding in the same direction as the bus must stop. You must remain stopped until the stop signal is withdrawn and all children are clear of the roadway. If you are approaching a school bus that is stopped with its red lights flashing and stop arm extended and you are driving on the opposite side of a divided highway, (i.e. In addition, there is a possibility of waiting for children darting in front of traffic. Remember, children are often unpredictable and may not see you coming. 4. You must not proceed until the red lights have stopped flashing, and the stop arm has been retracted, then proceed cautiously. The bus is parked on the main roadway-NOT in a school driveway. A painted median strip or turn lane does not create two separate roads. They may be equipped with a stop arm that extends from the bus near the drivers window when the red lights begin to flash. Upon meeting or passing from either direction any school bus stopped with its red lights flashing, the driver of a vehicle must stop at least 30 feet from the bus and cannot proceed until the red lights are turned off. If you are traveling on a divided highway having four or more lanes with a median separating the traffic, it is only necessary for the vehicles traveling in both lanes behind the school bus to stop, and not the traffic traveling in the opposite direction. Copyright 2007-2023 - All Rights Reserved, Home | Contact | Terms and Conditions | Free Tests | Privacy Policy, This website is not affiliated with any State or Government Entity. Drivers approaching a school bus from the rear may not pass the school bus when red signal lights are flashing and shall bring their vehicles to a com- plete stop before reaching the school bus when it is stopped. If the highway is divided by a raised barrier or an unpaved median at least five feet wide, you do not have to stop if you are moving in the opposite direction of the bus. However, a stop is required when following a bus that is stopped on a two-lane road or you are going in the opposite direction of the bus on a highway that has less than four lanes, as they are generally not divided. A school bus will have alternating flashing lights and a mechanical stop-sign arm extended while passengers are entering or leaving the bus. This caused multiple clusters of cars to stop along its way. Stop behind the school bus when the school bus stops and the stop arm is extended. You must stop and remain stopped until: When the yellow lights on the front and back of the bus are flashing the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children. Use extra care around buses and in school zones. As a random example, Colorado prescribes 20 feet between the driver's vehicle and the school bus. You must proceed with caution and watch for children by the side of the road. You do not have to stop on a divided highway if the school bus is traveling in the opposite direction. When you stop for a school bus, you cannot drive again until the red lights stop flashing or when the bus driver or a traffic officer signals that you can proceed. When a stopped school bus flashes its red light(s), traffic that approaches from either direction, even in front of the school and in school parking lots, must stop before it reaches the bus. The law covering this issue is NY VTL Section 1174 (a) called "Failure to Stop for a School Bus.". Learn more in the New Mexico driver guide. An exception to this rule is Washington State where you may pass a stopped bus as long as the roadway is 3 lanes or more and you are in an opposing lane. In every state, it is illegal for you to pass a school bus while the stop-arm is extended and the red lights are flashing. I noticed that the closest two cars that were already behind the bus, waited until the reds went off, rather than to take off. The Law - Passing Stopped School Buses (39:4-128.1) 1) On a two-lane highway, or other road not divided by some type of physical barrier, stop at least 25 feet from a stopped school bus with flashing red lights whether or not you are traveling in the same direction as a. Points: Improper passing of a school bus in NJ is a 5-point offense. Drivers of all ages are being cited for running the stop arm of a school bus, and the No. 1. Always be prepared to stop when lights are flashing. When a school bus is stopped on a roadway to pick up or drop off passengers, the following regulations apply to other drivers on the roadway. All lanes of traffic must stop for the school bus, except in opposing lanes if the highway is . However, Im still concern, because on the violation they sent me there are pictures of the stop sign with the red light is slowly pull out when I passed by (about 2.5 second according from the violation paper). Learn more in the Maryland driver handbook. Your school bus will have a yellow ABS malfunction lamp on the instrument panel if equipped with ABS. Yellow flashing lights mean the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children. This is where you need to use your judgement, and it helps to know the rules that bus drivers follow. In my opinion, it is not a good idea. Learn more in the North Carolina driving handbook. You can be charged with a misdemeanor if you violate either of these laws. Even after the warning signals have stopped, you should proceed slowly and continue to look for children. Yellow Lights -School buses have two overhead alternately flashing yellow lights both front and rear. Failure to establish the identity of the driver will result in the enforcement agency sending a warning letter to the registered owner stating that a motor vehicle registered to the owner was reported as having unlawfully passed a stopped school bus. 2. Always use great care when approaching a stopped or slow-moving school bus. It is illegal to pass a school bus that has stopped to load or unload students. We dont mind stopping if you give us adequate warning. Hey thanks for this excellent info! Learn more in the Hawaii driver handbook. When you are traveling the opposite direction of a school bus on a, When a school bus is stopped in a loading zone (at a school) where, When a school bus is about to stop and load or unload children, the bus. Divided highways (roadways): Unless signs say otherwise, you are not required to stop for a school bus if you are driving in the opposite direction on a divided highway. It is not necessary to stop for a school bus stopped on the other side of a divided highway, where the road is separated by a barrier such as a concrete or grass median, island or other structures that separate the flow of traffic. How Far Away Should I Stop for a School Bus? Learn more in the New Hampshire drivers manual. MCL 257.682 is specific to a driver's responsibilities regarding school bus issues. Ten seconds before a school bus stops, loads or unloads passengers, it will activate its flashing yellow or amber lights. Subsequent offenses have increased penalties. Monitoring cameras may be placed on county school buses to record other vehicles committing violations relating to overtaking and passing school vehicles. It is against the law to pass on the right side of a school bus while it is displaying red or yellow flashing lights. Many school buses activate amber flashing lights well in advance of the stop to warn other drivers. Learn more in the Mississippi drivers manual. . The penalty for this violation is a fine of not less than $500, and withdrawal of your driving privileges. Learn more in the Massachusetts drivers manual. This can put drivers close to or over the 6-point threshold for an additional surcharge (see . The school bus driver activates flashing yellow lights to indicate the school bus is preparing to stop to load or unload students. When a school bus is stopped and flashing its lights, traffic from either direction must stop on two-lane roads, multi-lane highways and even on divided highways. Not stopping when approaching or overtaking a school bus which has stop. is separated by a median, or These lights must be continually displayed until after the bus has received or discharged passengers. the bus is stopped in a loading zone by a controlled-access highway where, On any four-lane or multi-lane highway only when traveling. This arm, a standard stop sign with alternating flashing red lights at top and bottom, swings out after the upper alternating red lights begin to flash . The vehicle must remain stopped until the stop arm is pulled back and the bus resumes motion. When a school bus is stopped at an intersection to load and unload children, drivers from ALL directions are required to stop until the bus resumes motion (as shown by the red vehicles in the diagram at right).