School Bus Laws

[pal]

Can someone please tell me when a school bus has its RED LIGHTS FLASHING AND STOP SIGN OPENED ON THE SIDE, are vehicles supposed to come to a complete stop when it is a:
A) Two lane hwy with an island
B) Two lane hwy without an island
C) Four lane highway with an island
D) Four lane highway without an island
E) All of the above
F) Combo of the above
G) OR am I way off???

This issue has always been in debate amongst me and my comrades. Someone please tell me so I can put an end to this matter. The one thing that irritates me the most is to see vehicles NOT STOP AT ALL?
:mad:

[CHPUSMC]

Passing a school bus with red lights flashing. Recent change in the Vehicle Code requires school bus drivers to activate flashing red signal lights, amber warning lights, and stop signal arm when stopped to pick up or let off passengers. All vehicles, traveling in both directions, must stop and shall not pass the school bus until the red flashing signal and stop arm cease operation. Please note that this is enforceable on public school grounds with designated bus zones or turnarounds.
Current fine: $500.00 - $1,000.

New school bus passing law in effect

Rim School District News

by Douglas W. Motley

A recent change in a section of the California Vehicle Code has eliminated the grace period for motorists who are following a school bus to pass around the bus once it has come to a complete stop. School bus drivers approaching a bus stop are now mandated to activate the bus? red warning lights as soon as the bus comes to a stop.


In the past, school bus drivers operating buses equipped with amber warning lights would activate the lights 200 feet prior to stopping the bus. After stopping, the bus driver would deactivate the amber lights and allow other vehicles to pass the bus, prior to activating its red warning lights. Under the new law, this is no longer the case.

Because of the change in the vehicle code, school bus drivers will no longer wait to activate the bus? red warning lights. The red lights will be activated immediately upon stopping and de-activating the amber lights, according to a California Highway Patrol (CHP) press release dated Feb. 27.

CHP spokesman Wally Wood said drivers following or approaching a school bus with its amber lights activated are cautioned to slow down and prepare to stop for the bus.

?Only after a school bus has completed its stop and the red lights are turned off will motorists be allowed to legally pass the bus,? said Wood.

Drivers who pass a school bus while its red lights are activated will be cited for violating Section 22454.5 (a) of the California Vehicle Code. The fine for violating this section ranges from $500 to $1,000.

Normally a CHP officer would have to witness a violation to issue a citation; however, bus drivers observing such a violation may make a citizen?s arrest after filing a report with the CHP. Saying he only recalls one instance when this has occurred locally in recent years, Wood said the bus driver would have to get a complete description of the suspected vehicle, its license plate number and a description of the driver, and then testify in court before a driver could be prosecuted.

Rim of the World School District Transportation Manager Sharon Rogers said Tuesday that only seven of the district?s 33 buses are currently equipped with the amber warning lights and that they are still in use on those buses. She acknowledged that all of the district?s bus drivers have been notified of the recent change in the vehicle code and trained in the proper use of warning lights on the buses they operate.

Rogers said she is aware of at least seven incidents where drivers have illegally passed the district?s school buses in the last 12 months. Each incident was reported on a standardized form filled out by the bus driver and sent to the CHP, she said. CHP?s Wood said mountain-area officers routinely cite motorists for illegally passing school buses with red warning lights activated, but didn?t have an exact number of incidents at press time.

Acknowledging that it can be difficult for a school bus driver to obtain all the information required to prosecute an offending motorist successfully while at the same time monitoring bus passengers? behavior and safeguarding children crossing the roadway, Rogers said the last time a citizen?s arrest made by a district bus driver resulted in the prosecution of a motorist was about seven years ago.

[Tom]

22454. (a) The driver of any vehicle, upon meeting or overtaking,
from either direction, any schoolbus equipped with signs as required
in this code, that is stopped for the purpose of loading or unloading
any schoolchildren and displays a flashing red light signal and stop
signal arm, as defined in paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of
Section 25257, if equipped with a stop signal arm, visible from front
or rear, shall bring the vehicle to a stop immediately before
passing the schoolbus and shall not proceed past the schoolbus until
the flashing red light signal and stop signal arm, if equipped with a
stop signal arm, cease operation.
(b) (1) The driver of a vehicle upon a divided highway or
multiple-lane highway need not stop upon meeting or passing a
schoolbus that is upon the other roadway.
(2) For the purposes of this subdivision, a multiple-lane highway
is any highway that has two or more lanes of travel in each
direction.
(c) (1) If a vehicle was observed overtaking a schoolbus in
violation of subdivision (a), and the driver of the schoolbus
witnessed the violation, the driver may, within 24 hours, report the
violation and furnish the vehicle license plate number and
description and the time and place of the violation to the local law
enforcement agency having jurisdiction of the offense. That law
enforcement agency shall issue a letter of warning prepared in
accordance with paragraph (2) with respect to the alleged violation
to the registered owner of the vehicle. The issuance of a warning
letter under this paragraph shall not be entered on the driving
record of the person to whom it is issued, but does not preclude the
imposition of any other applicable penalty.
(2) The Attorney General shall prepare and furnish to every law
enforcement agency in the state a form letter for purposes of
paragraph (1), and the law enforcement agency may issue those letters
in the exact form prepared by the Attorney General. The Attorney
General may charge a fee to any law enforcement agency that requests
a copy of the form letter to recover the costs of preparing and
providing that copy.
(d) This section also applies to a roadway upon private property.


Part b(1) should answer your question.

[pal]

Thanks, Tom for the info ? helps plenty! VC 22454b(1) ? I?ll remember that. Alas! There is clarity to this long disputed issue.

CHPUSMC, a friend of mine didn't stop and was fined $1,000 - that'll teach her - tough love!

[CHPUSMC]

CHPUSMC, a friend of mine didn't stop and was fined $1,000 - that'll teach her - tough love!

:shock:
:shock:
:shock:

Well...I guess the question on my mind is...does your friend still pass a school bus while the red lights are flashing?