It’s back to school season, and that means young ones busing, biking, and walking to get to the classroom each day. For drivers, taking extra safety precautions is especially important. When driving around school buses, here are three laws and safety steps that all drivers should take. Save a kid, stop for a school bus!
1. Stop at an Appropriate Distance
Pennsylvania law requires motorists to stop at least 10 feet away from school buses when the school bus has its ‘Stop’ arm extended or/and has its red flashing lights on. The same thing applies for motorists traveling in the opposite direction.
If there is no separation between lanes of traffic, drivers going in the opposite direction must stop when you see a “Stop” sign arm, or a bus’s red flashing lights are displayed.
2. Wait Until Kids are Safely Out of Roadway
Not only are motorists required to stop, but they must remain stopped until the bus continues driving and until all children have reached safety. Drivers should not proceed until all children who have exited the bus are on the sidewalk or out of the roadway, or until all children who are entering the bus have safely come.
3. Know When It’s Okay to Proceed
While you must stop—and remain stopped until all children have reached a safe location—when you are directly adjacent to a school bus, behind a school bus, or traveling in the opposite direction of a school bus where there is no physical barrier on the road, you are not required to stop when there is a physical barrier.
Motorists who are traveling in the opposite direction of a school bus displaying flashing red lights or a ‘Stop’ sign do not have to stop if the following are present in the roadway.
- Guard rails separating lanes
- Grassy median barriers
- Concrete median barriers
However, even when you’re allowed to proceed, keep in mind that you still may be driving in a school zone. In a school zone, you must slow your speed to the posted limit. When students are entering or leaving school, this limit is typically 15 miles per hour.
Liability for Bus Accident in Pennsylvania
When drivers follow the law and take proper safety precautions, accidents can be reduced or prevented entirely. However, not everyone drives as safely as they should. If your child was in a school bus accident in Pennsylvania, make sure you read our blogs about school bus accident liability.
For legal representation, or to schedule a free case consultation, call the attorneys at Cordisco & Saile LLC. You can reach our offices today by calling 214-642-2335.
