Stopping for School Buses

[DVCLiz]

I don't know what the law is your area, but in NC, if you are on a street with four or more lanes of traffic (ie two or more going in each direction) with a center turning lane, only the traffic following the bus is required to stop. The traffic coming in the other direction can continue. I never knew this and stopped no matter what, until my daughter went through driver's ed and told me this was, in fact, what the law said. In fact, her principal had an assembly for all the driving high scool students, and began to fuss at them because he had had reports of kids not stopping for buses. It was a little bit of an Emily Litella moment ("Never mind!") for him when the students told him about the actual law.

So really, people who stop in the oppostie lanes are simply stopping dead for no reason, which could be hazardous - I can't think of another situation where you could just stop in the road like that and not cause accidents.

The law is in place, of course, because no bus would stop and let children cross that many lanes of traffic. In the case of a bus stopping on a busy road like that, it would let off kids on one side of the road and then turn around so the kids could get to the other side without having to cross.

Anyway, what's the law in your state? Do you see many people stopping in both directions anyway? This is kind of an ongoing discussion at our house - now that we know the actual law we get irritated if we have to stop, but so many people do still stop that it's almost expected.

 

[shortbun]

In Ohio, four lanes: the lane behind the bus and the lane beside the bus stop.
Three lanes on a one way road, same thing: behind and beside. Divided road(median of some kind): only the traffic behind. Two lane road: all traffic.
Also......you must stop 50 feet from the bus, not beside or adjacent or nose to nose---------FIFTY FEET AWAY FROM. And you can not resume moving until the bus's red lights and stop arm are finished and the bus has moved on.The fact that YOU THINK all the students are safe has no bearing on this; you must wait for the bus(there could be a slow student still on his or her way off the bus!!!)Hello: hazard lights blinking on a school bus are not the signal to stop, it's the signal that something else is going on and you should be cautious. The bus turns on it's upper red alternating lights, not the hazards, for cars to stop. This is usually preceeded by amber alternating lights in the same area.

 

[WDWAurora]

In NC that must have changed between the time I took driver's ed (and DH also) and I'm only 23. As a matter of fact, I know someone who got a ticket for this recently, so maybe the cops don't know either? I'm not sure...Here if there is a turn lane (and no median divider of any kind) the law, to the time I took driver's ed at least, said you do have to stop when going the opposite direction. I did this the other day and the kid crossed over to my side, so I'm glad I followed "the old" law! Otherwise that kid could have been hit.

 

[doxdogy]

This is the law for Florida:

The driver of a vehicle upon a divided highway with an unpaved space of at least 5 feet, a raised median, or a physical barrier is not required to stop when traveling in the opposite direction of a school bus which is stopped in accordance with the provisions of this section.

It goes on to say that the painted lines on the roadway ARE NOT a barrier.

 

[DVCLiz]

In NC that must have changed between the time I took driver's ed (and DH also) and I'm only 23. As a matter of fact, I know someone who got a ticket for this recently, so maybe the cops don't know either? I'm not sure...Here if there is a turn lane (and no median divider of any kind) the law, to the time I took driver's ed at least, said you do have to stop when going the opposite direction. I did this the other day and the kid crossed over to my side, so I'm glad I followed "the old" law! Otherwise that kid could have been hit.

Wow, that's amazing. Are you sure there were two lanes of traffic going in each direction, plus the turning lane all the way down the middle? Because I specifically checked this out on the DMV website before I posted. It's in the Driver's Ed Handbook with a picture and a diagram and everything. Buses aren't supposed to let students off if they have to cross two lanes of traffic.

Maybe they DID change this law since you were in driver's ed and that's why there is so much confusion about it...

 

[WDWAurora]

Wow, that's amazing. Are you sure there were two lanes of traffic going in each direction, plus the turning lane all the way down the middle? Because I specifically checked this out on the DMV website before I posted. It's in the Driver's Ed Handbook with a picture and a diagram and everything. Buses aren't supposed to let students off if they have to cross two lanes of traffic.

Maybe they DID change this law since you were in driver's ed and that's why there is so much confusion about it...

haha Yep, I even got out the driver's handbook thing from when I renewed 3 years ago and it still says that (might have been 4 years ago, whenever I turned 20). I'm very sure this was the law, and it is still being followed by many. This road that I observed this on (same one the ticket was given on) is on I drive at least 4 times per week now, drove it more when I lived in the town that I am finishing my graduate degree in. 2 lanes each way, turn lane in the center. Bus all the way in the far left (for me) lane, I'm in the second from the right lane and watched the kid do the walk. 2 days later the girl from my program got the ticket. Clearly the police are still confused as well?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Here--unless it is a divided highway you stop.

So where I am at--4 lanes with a center turn lane--everyone must stop.