• School bus laws protect the millions of children who ride school buses daily in the United States.school bus image by Richard Kane from Fotolia.com
  
  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports an average of 35 students die in school bus incidences annually. Studies conducted in Florida and Illinois indicate nearly 10,000 motorists illegally pass school buses daily. Many other states parallel or surpass these statistics. Motorists should never underestimate the potential dangers associated with ignoring school bus laws.
  
  

General Policies

• Although each state enacts its own legislation regarding stopping for a school bus, many similarities exist. The state boards of education reinforce the regulations of the state. Motorists should contact their police departments or state transportation offices to inquire about laws specific to their individual states.
  
  

Warning Signals

• School buses in the United States are equipped with flashing light systems. Lights blinking in an alternating amber pattern indicate that a bus is preparing to stop. Bus drivers generally engage the warning lights 200 to 500 feet before coming to a complete stop. Red flashing lights denote that a bus driver has reached a complete stop. At that point, a warning arm extends from the bus as well. Motorists are required by law to stop until the school bus resumes motion or the bus driver signals traffic to proceed. Because police officers are not always available to witness an offense, bus drivers are often asked to record the license plate numbers of motorists who don't adhere to school bus traffic laws. This information is given to the appropriate law enforcement agency, which investigates for enforcement purposes. Offenses may result in fees ranging to $500 and license revocation.
  
  

Two-Lane Road

• When a school bus driver stops on a two-lane roadway and activates the red flashing lights, all vehicles are expected to stop. This is regardless of which direction or lanes the cars occupy. As a general rule, a driver should not get any closer than 20 feet to the school bus.
  
  

Four or More-Lane Road

• When a roadway has four or more lanes with at least two of the lanes going in the opposite direction, only the vehicles in lanes traveling the same direction as the school bus generally need to stop for the red flashing school bus lights.
  
  

Divided Roadway

• Most states don't require motorists going in the opposite direction of a school bus to stop on a road that's divided by a median. There are exceptions to this rule. Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, West Virginia and New York, for example, mandate that vehicles--no matter their direction--come to a stop when approaching a halted school bus.
  
  

One-Way Street

• If the motorists on a roadway must travel in the same direction, they are all required to stop behind the red flashing lights of a stopped school bus.
  
  

Railroad Tracks

• All buses are obligated to stop at railroad crossings. School buses must stop whether they have pupils on board or not. The bus pulls to the right and activates its warning lights. Motorists should never proceed behind a school bus until it has completely cleared the tracks.