When Should You Stop For A School Bus?

When a bus is stopped with its flashing red lights activated and its stop arm extended, drivers are required to stop when approaching it from any direction. If motorists are on a highway that is divided by a barrier or unpaved area, they are required to stop if they are traveling in the same direction as the school bus. If there is no barrier, all lanes in all directions must stop.

While most drivers follow these traffic laws, there are some who are either unaware or disregard the law completely. In fact, Hoosier bus drivers report an average of more than 2,500 stop-arm violations each day.

I supported a new law to keep students safe and hold motorists accountable when they disregard a school bus stop-arm. Through this law, the penalty for injuring or killing someone as a result of recklessly passing a school bus has been increased, which could potentially mean larger fines and longer jail sentences for violators. A court can also suspend a violator’s driver’s license for up to a year.