The . The driver shall use an approved, hand-held STOP sign while escorting all students. Avoid areas that are subject to flash floods. However, if it has stopped and its red lights are flashing, then you must stop and wait until it resumes motion and turns off its lights. Keep a strong grip on the steering wheel. Watch for children - they can come from all directions, especially if they're running late. School Bus Side Stop Signal Arm Enforcement Approved Systems (PDF), School Bus Side Stop Signal Arm Enforcement System Approval Requirements (PDF), Operation Safe Stop - Public Participation Information (PDF), Operation Safe Stop - Law Enforcement Participation Information (PDF), PennDOT School Bus Safety Poster Contest Guidelines (PDF), National Association for Pupil Transportation. Red flashing lights and extended stop arms mean the bus has stopped and that children are . When a school bus is stopped with red lights flashing on a four lane two way roadway which lanes must stop? Proceed when it is safe. 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. However, drivers must yield the right-of-way if other traffic is approaching from the opposite direction. MD Laws On Passing A Stopped School Bus: What To Know Tell students to exit the bus and walk at least 10 feet away from the side of the bus to a position where the driver can plainly see all students. Motorists claimed they couldnt see the flashing lights because the lights were dirty or because sun, rain, snow, or fog blinded them. The statute requires: Following these two rules will allow for safer drivers, safer children and safer neighborhoods. The bus driver may also indicate for you to go ahead, although even then, you must exercise due caution just in case there are still kids trying to cross the road. When all students are accounted for, prepare to leave by: When it is safe, move the bus, enter the traffic flow, and continue the route. For instance, if youre driving on a highway with a significant barrier in the middle, only the vehicles following the bus should stop. A first-, second- and third-place winner is chosen in each category. Be sure to follow local procedures. Also, if there are still children on the side of the road, you have to drive slowly until youre past them. School buses make frequent stops, so be patient and drive at a reasonable speed. When a school bus has the stop sign out and the red lights flashing, drivers are required to stop: on two lane, undivided roads, in both directions. The NY State Education Department, Department of Pupil Transportation, states that the youngest students are most at risk. Drivers who illegally pass a school bus face fines up to $1,250 for the first offense. See Figure 10.5. If you that the offense is serious enough that you cannot safely drive the bus, call a school administrator or the police to come and remove the student. Watch for lane changes! Check all mirrors. You must use extreme caution when approaching a school bus stop. The advance warning sign tells you to slow down, look and listen for the train, and be prepared to stop at the tracks if a train is coming. There is also a no passing zone sign on 2-lane roads. If you cannot answer them all, reread Section 10. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. The speed for both urban and rural schools zones is 30 km/h unless otherwise posted. Always follow the "Five Alive" Operation Lifesaver steps when approaching a railroad track. School bus safety tips for drivers: Prepare to stop when a slowing bus has its overhead yellow lights flashing. Children can be unpredictable and may try to cross the road when its not safe to do so. (See Figure A) 2) Stop at least 25 feet from a stopped school bus with flashing red lights if you are on a divided highway and on the same side of the highway as the school bus. Multi-Lane Roadways with NO Barrier between Lanes. What Is The Difference Between Red Lights and Yellow Lights On School Buses? Walk through the bus to ensure no students remain on the bus. michigan school bus rules Verified 2 days ago Yellow flashing lights indicate the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children. When a school bus is stopped on a highway or private road for the purpose of loading or unloading pupils, at a location where traffic is not controlled by a traffic officer or official traffic control signal, the school bus driver shall do all of the following: The school bus driver should enforce any state or local regulations or recommendations concerning student actions outside the school bus. Strong winds can push the school bus sideways. They are used to monitor the left and right sides at a wide angle. Always obey your school bus driver's instructions, so that he or she can make safe decisions. What do flashing lights on bus mean? In other words: Without ABS, you still have normal brake functions. If a police officer is at the crossing, obey directions. The new Eight Lamp Amber-Red Warning system uses two stages of flashing overhead signal-lights to signal that a school bus is slowing (amber lights) and stopping (red lights) to improve clarity to surrounding road users. The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) website uses Google Translate to provide automatic translation of its web pages. When that happens, drivers in both directions must come to. What happens if you pass a school bus with flashing lights? If you're going the opposite direction, though, passing a school bus with flashing yellow lights is okay. In many areas of the country, Love the Bus events are held on or around Valentine's Day. Can You Legally Pass a School Bus With Yellow Blinking Lights? - 101.5 WPDH When students are loading at the school campus, you should: Perform a safe stop at designated unloading areas as described in Section 10. Stopping closer than 20ft away from a school bus constitutes a violation of Wisconsin law and could result in a citation or worse, if someone gets hurt. A school bus's yellow lights are a warning that the bus is about to stop so you need to slow down and be prepared to stop. You should back your bus only when you have no other safe way to move the vehicle. You need to check your mirrors before and during any turning movements to monitor the tail swing. In New York, you stop whenever a school bus is flashing red lights. For more information about Love the Bus, visit Love the Bus. When School Bus Red Light Flashes? - Bus foundation Flashing Red Light Signals. Under what conditions must you evacuate the bus? August 31, 2022 by Steven M. Gursten. Here's The Law In Arizona About Passing Stopped School Buses Lead students upwind (into the wind) of the bus if fire is present. Quick Answer: What Do Flashing Red Lights On A School Bus Indicate? Passing on either side of the school bus can lead to a fine anywhere from $500 to $1250 or more in Texas. Approaching the bus from the rear: When approaching from the rear, the rules are the same as for a two- or three- lane road. Each state has different laws concerning when it is legal/illegal to pass a stopped school bus. The yellow ABS malfunction lamp is on the bus instrument panel. Passive crossings are those that do not have any type of traffic control device. And then when they're actually stopped, they're red. If you have ever been stuck behind a school bus, you might have noticed that some buses are equipped with both yellow and red flashing lights. After unloading all children at the school or after your last stop, make sure to do a post-trip of your bus and check to make sure that no child has been left on the bus. Wait until the school bus has stopped all traffic before stepping out onto the road. At the School Transportation Safety Committee meeting in Pinellas County in October, the county's transportation director said they were working with the school board and the transportation staff to evaluate options for crossing locations along Belleair Road. A school bus driver shall not actuate the visual signals or the stop warning sign in designated school bus loading areas where the bus is entirely off the roadway or at school buildings when children or persons attending programs offered by community boards of mental health and county boards of developmental disabilities are loading or unloading When getting off of the school bus, make sure that all drawstrings and other loose objects are secure so that they don't get caught on the handrail or the door. If there is more than 1 track, make sure all tracks are clear before crossing. Fairfax County Public Schools runs more than 1,600 buses daily. If time permits, school bus drivers should contact their dispatcher to explain the situation before making a decision to evacuate the school bus. Retrieve emergency equipment. These children, though they represent less than 35% of the student population, were involved in 69% of the fatalities (79 out of 114). According to Florida Statute 316.172, you must stop when approaching any school bus that displays the stop signal and has its red lights flashing. It could be an accident, a stalled school bus on a railroad-highway crossing or in a high-speed intersection, an electrical fire in the engine compartment, or medical emergency to a student on the school bus, etc. You are in a very demanding situation when entering these areas. If the gate stays down after the train passes, do not drive around the gate. General Procedures. As a general rule, a driver should not get any closer than 20 feet to a school bus that has stopped with red lights flashing. Don't start driving until the red lights stop flashing. Police officers, school crossing guards, and even school bus drivers themselves may have the . Escort all students in prekindergarten, kindergarten, or any grades 1 through 8, inclusive, who need to cross the highway or private road where the school bus stopped. When the road crosses over more than one set of tracks, a sign below the crossbuck indicates the number of tracks. Backing is dangerous and increases your risk of an accident. When amber lights begin flashing on top of a school bus, they mean that the school bus is slowing down and preparing to stop. Never play with the emergency exits. The Danger Zone is the area on all sides of the bus where children are in the most danger of not being seen by the driver (ten feet in front of the bus where the driver may be too high to see a child, ten feet on either side of the bus where a child may be in the drivers blind spot, and the area behind the school. When you drive a vehicle with ABS, you should brake as you always have. When these amber lights flash you should immediately be prepared to stop. Pennsylvania law prohibits children from standing on the bus while the bus is in motion. According to the Ontario government, drivers who ignore the red flashing lights or the school bus's stop arm, can face a hefty fine from $400 to $2,000 if it's their first offence. School buses not only alert drivers to the presence of children, but the rules of the road require drivers to act in a certain way around buses to enhance the safety of the children getting off the bus. Have the students exit in orderly fashion. If the school bus is on a street with a raised or center median, or with more . For more information, review Pennsylvania's School Bus Stopping Law Fact Sheet. Penalties for Failing to Stop for a School Bus in Virginia. Remove the key if leaving the drivers compartment. Sec. School Bus Safety - PennDOT Stop for flashing red lights or a stop sign on a school bus regardless of which direction you're headed. According to The Bellingham Herald, the general rule is that drivers overtaking or meeting a school bus that's stopped on the side of the road and has activated a visual signal shall stop before reaching it. School Bus Stop-Arm Rules: The Basics | BusPatrol An emergency escape route does not exist for a train. Pavement markings mean the same as the advance warning sign. See Figure 10.8. install the Google Toolbar (opens in new window) . Remember, if your ABS malfunctions, you still have regular brakes. You should slow down and prepare to stop your vehicle. Diagram 5-4 So whether youre behind the bus or in the next lane, you should stop. Therefore, emergency evacuation procedures must be explained to all students. If it will not fit, do not commit! Brake the same way, regardless of whether you have ABS on the bus. on a highway or trafficway shall stop at least ten feet before reaching the school bus when the red signal lights on the school bus are flashing and the side stop signal arms are activated under section 4552(b.1) (relating to general requirements for school . Where should students walk to after exiting the bus? Would moving students complicate injuries such as neck and back injuries and fractures? If you cannot account for a student, secure the bus, take the key, and check around and underneath the bus. When you brake hard on slippery surfaces in a vehicle without ABS, your wheels may lock up. "It's a. Generally, if a stopped school bus is displaying a flashing, alternating red lamp, a driver of a vehicle meeting or overtaking the stopped bus from either direction (front or back) must stop and wait until the bus moves again or the red light is off. These mirrors are mounted on both the left and right front corners of the bus. The position of the bus may change and increase the danger. I'm the NYS DMV Virtual Agent, Click me for assistance. This forces the students to walk to the bus so you have a better view of their movements. Drivers must stop at least 20 feet away and cannot resume driving until the bus lights are turned off or the bus begins moving.