School buses transport children. To do that, they must both pick children up and drop them off. This daily routine coupled with the unpredictable nature of children, especially young children, can spell a recipe for disaster. Know the rules inside and out for coming upon school buses:
- It is illegal to pass any school bus displaying a stop signal.
- On a two-way street all drivers travelling in both directions must stop and remain stopped whenever a school bus is picking up or dropping off children. You have no way of telling if children will need to cross the street at the front or back end of the bus where you won’t see them. In this instance, “stopped” means stopped. Don’t even roll forward at a crawl.
- Never continue driving until the bus driver has pulled in the stop signal and turned off the stoplights. Also wait for any children to clear the area.
- You are not required to stop for a school bus that is traveling in the opposite direction but located on the other side of a physical barrier or unpaved median that’s at least five feet wide.
- Regardless of the number of lanes, in the absence of a physical barrier (painted lines don’t count), stop for a school bus travelling in the same direction as you.
- This bears repeating because it’s too important: You cannot predict what children will do even when they are close to vehicular traffic. Running to catch a school bus or to meet parents or to catch up with friends are all activities you should expect to see along school bus routes. Remain patient. Never pass the bus unless the driver pulls over and signals for you to do so.