The 2022 National School Bus Safety Week is October 17-21. Children riding to school via bus are 70 times more likely to get to school safely compared to riding in a car. And thankfully, accidents involving school buses are rare, but they are particularly disturbing when they occur.
Safety Reminders
Please allow the below to serve as a safety refresher of the rules of the road regarding school buses:
- Motorists must stop at least 10 feet away from school buses that have their red lights flashing and stop arm extended.
- Motorists must stop when they are behind a bus, meeting the bus or approaching an intersection where a bus is stopped.
- Motorists following or traveling alongside a school bus must also stop until the red lights have stopped flashing, the stop arm is withdrawn, and all children have reached safety.
- If physical barriers such as grassy medians, guide rails or concrete median barriers separate oncoming traffic from the bus, motorists in the opposing lanes may proceed without stopping.
- Do not proceed until all the children have reached a place of safety.
Pennsylvania’s School Bus Stopping Law – Penalties if Convicted
- $250 fine
- Five points on your driving record
- 60-day license suspension
For more information, review Pennsylvania’s School Bus Stopping Law Fact Sheet.
Please feel free to share this content, especially with younger, less experienced drivers.
Scott Bonebrake practices law in Media, PA, and has been a licensed attorney for 27 years. Please feel free to contact Scott if you have any legal questions. You can reach Scott at 610-892-7700, or at sbonebrake@noelandbonebrake.com.
