School Buses: To Stop or Not

By Capt. Ron Nelson

Most drivers in Moorpark are very well aware of the law requiring them to stop when approaching a school bus with flashing red lights and/or a stop sign. Most drivers practice courtesy in obeying those laws. A few disobey the law and face a very steep fine if cited; however, there has been much confusion among drivers when it comes to school buses on the opposite side of the road.

The California Vehicle Code is a good source of information to clear up any confusion.

Section 22454 of the California Vehicle Code (CVC) states the following in summary:

“(a) The driver of any vehicle, upon meeting or overtaking, from either direction, any school bus 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 school bus and shall not proceed past the school bus 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 school bus that is upon the other side of the 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.”

Within the City of Moorpark, there are many locations where school bus stops exist on a divided or multiple-lane highway. These include Tierra Rejada Road, Spring Road and Los Angeles Avenue to name a few. In these locations, it is not necessary to stop for a school bus with flashing red lights and/or a stop sign that is on the opposite side of the road. Of course, you must stop if the road is not a multiple-lane or divided highway.

Multiple-lane highways are easy to distinguish because they have at least two lanes in each direction. Divided highways can sometimes be confusing to understand. Divided highways are those highways with a center median physically separating each direction of traffic. Divided highways also exist when opposite directions of travel are separated by two sets of solid yellow lines that are at least 24 inches apart. An example of this is Los Angeles Avenue.

Hopefully this clears up any confusion about whether there is a requirement to stop or not for a school bus on the opposite side of the road. Please drive safely whenever children or other pedestrians are present near a roadway. As licensed drivers, we are all expected to know and understand the rules of the road to keep traffic moving safely.