The new school year is here! As we begin a new school year, it is a perfect opportunity to remind everyone of the rules when it comes to school buses as they transport our most precious commodity, our children. Especially during the first few weeks of school, as kids navigate new routes to school and become familiar with new surroundings, please remain extra vigilant for school buses and crosswalks! It should go without saying, however, please know that the inconvenience of an extra few seconds spent waiting for a stopped school bus is insignificant compared to the loss of a child’s life.
Florida Motor Vehicle Laws require that motorists stop upon approaching any school bus which displays its flashing red lights and has its stop signs extended. The penalty for failure to stop for a school bus is $200, and if a second offense is committed in 5 years, the person’s license will be suspended for up to 1 year. The penalty for passing a school bus on the side that children enter and exit when the school bus displays a stop signal is $400, and if a second offense is committed in 5 years, the person’s license can be suspended for up to 2 years.
Did You Know?
In a 180-day school year, it is estimated that there are almost two million illegal “passes” of Florida school buses, each representing the possibility of tragic injuries or fatalities to students.
School Bus Passing Rules
All drivers moving in either direction on a two-way street must stop for a school bus
displaying a stop signal, and must remain stopped until the road is clear of children AND
the school bus stop arm is withdrawn. (See diagram, TWO-LANE)
• On a highway divided by a paved median, all drivers moving in either direction must stop
for a school bus displaying a stop signal, and must remain stopped until the road is clear
of children AND the school bus stop arm is withdrawn. (See diagram, MULTI-LANE)
• The only time traffic approaching an oncoming school bus does not need to stop, is if
there is a raised barrier such as a concrete divider or at least five feet of unpaved space
separating the lanes of traffic. (See diagram, DIVIDED HIGHWAY)