VA Laws On Passing A Stopped School Bus: What You Need To Know

VIRGINIA — Classes have resumed in some northern Virginia school districts already, and most of the rest return to school next week. So it's an important for drivers to review the rules of the road as school buses return to the streets. During a six-month period from August 2018 to March 2019, 12 children were killed and another 47 were injured while getting on and off school buses nationwide. Bus stop-arms were extended at the time, which means that in Virginia and the 49 other states, drivers were required to come to a full stop.

There are some differences in the state law. Virginia’s law requires: Drivers must stop for stopped school buses with flashing red lights and an extended stop sign when they approach from any direction on a highway, private road or school driveway. Vehicles must stop and remain stopped until all persons are clear and the bus moves again. You must also stop if the bus is loading or unloading passengers and the signals are not on.

Drivers do not have to stop if they are traveling in the opposite direction on a roadway with a median or barrier dividing the road and the bus is on the opposite side of the median or barrier. Under Virginia law, the base fine for failing to stop for a school bus is $250.

Forgetting those rules — and being caught doing so — could carry a fine of close to $600 and other penalties for drivers or, even worse, cause a serious accident. While base penalties for passing a stopped school bus include a $250 fine, the violation is considered reckless driving and could be subject to a $2,500 fine.

It's the law in the Commonwealth that if you're approaching a stopped school bus that is flashing its red lights, you can't pass it, even if the bus driver hasn't extended the stop sign yet. If there is a median between you and the bus, you are allowed to pass the stopped school bus.

What should you do when you see a school bus stop? You should slow down when approaching a school bus that is flashing its yellow warning lights (a telltale sign the bus is preparing to load or unload passengers). You should stop at least 20 feet away from a school bus with its stop-arm extended and wait for the stop-arm to retract and the red lights to stop flashing before moving your vehicle.

Some northern Virginia communities have buses equipped with the cameras, including Arlington County, Fairfax County and City of Falls Church. Here's how it works: If you pass a school bus, a camera will take your picture. Police will review the image and if they find you violated the law, you'll receive a ticket with a $250 fine. The owner of the vehicle can protest the ticket if they were not behind the wheel; instructions on how vehicle owners are to proceed in this case are provided with the citation.

When it comes to buses, school zones and safety, some of the biggest concerns happen when cars and buses aren't even moving. Kids run the greatest risk of being hurt when they're walking up to or getting off a bus, according to transportation experts. While an average of seven students are killed in school bus crashes each year, 19 are killed getting on and off the bus. Most of those killed are children between ages 5 and 7 who are hit in what the state agency ominously calls the "Danger Zone" around the bus, either by a passing vehicle or by the school bus itself. It's illegal for a vehicle to pass a bus with its red lights flashing.

Children are most likely to be hit because they:

• Hurry to get on or off the bus
• Act before they think and have little experience with traffic
• Assume drivers will see them and will wait for them to cross
• Don't always stay within the bus driver's sight
• Drop something as they get off the bus and run into the path of the bus to pick it up

RIDING A BUS TO SCHOOL

For Drivers

The law requires drivers to stop for school buses when the buses engage flashing red lights. Yellow flashing lights indicate that the bus is preparing to load or unload children. Drivers should slow down and prepare to stop.

Red flashing lights and extended stop arms indicate the bus has stopped, and that children are getting on or off. Drivers approaching from either direction must stop until the red lights stop flashing. Drivers may not be able to see everyone who got off of the bus so proceed slowly until you are clear of the bus and pedestrians.

For Students

Getting on the School Bus
• When the bus arrives, stand at least three giant steps (6 feet) away from the curb.
• If you have to cross the street in front of the bus, walk on the sidewalk or along the side of the road until you are five giant steps (10 feet) ahead of the bus. Then you can cross the street.
• Be sure the bus driver can see you and you can see the bus driver.
• Never walk behind the bus.
• If you drop something near the bus, tell the bus driver. Never try to pick it up first because the driver may not be able to see you.

Getting off the School Bus
• If you have to cross the street in front of the bus, walk at least ten feet ahead of the bus along the side of the road until you can turn around see the driver.
• Make sure the bus driver can see you.
• Wait for a signal from the driver before beginning to cross.
• When the driver signals, walk across the road keeping an eye out for sudden traffic changes.
• Do not cross the center line of the road until the driver has signaled that it is safe for you to begin walking.
• Stay away from the wheels of the bus at all times.

The most dangerous part of the “danger zone” for students is the 10-foot area around the entire school bus when it stops, according to the School Bus Safety Company. The trainers there advise that if there’s a crossing gate installed on the bus, students should walk the length, about 10 feet, then check for traffic and wait for the driver’s signal to cross.

Then, or if no such equipment is installed, students should walk to the edge of the bus bumper, stop and check for traffic, then cross the street.

The potential for fatal and injury accidents exists every day, according to the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services.

States are taking various approaches to the problem. For example, 22 states have now passed stop-arm camera laws to catch drivers who pass school buses when they’re stopped to pick up or let off children. They include Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.

“There are a multitude of options out there,” National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services President Michael LaRocco told School Transportation News last year. “There’s not one silver bullet out there, other than the simplest silver bullet — motorists need to pay attention to what’s going on around them.”

Research shows that driver distraction, especially with increased cellphone use, creates hazards on the road. But students are distracted, too, and don’t always pay attention to traffic before they cross the road, sometimes because they’re listening to music through earbuds or headphones.