Safe Driving with Kids in School, What to Do When Encountering a School Bus

Did you know that school buses are the safest way to get kids to and from school? It’s safer than walking, riding a bike, or being driven to school by parents. School buses are the most heavily-regulated vehicles on the road and are designed to be safer than passenger vehicles in preventing crashes and injuries.

Most bus-related deaths and injuries involve pedestrians. These are primarily children who are hit by a bus or injured when exiting a bus to cross traffic. The children who lose their lives in bus-related incidents are typically between the ages of four and seven and on foot, according to the National Safety Council. They’re struck by the bus or by a vehicle that’s passing a bus that’s stopped to load or unload children.

Michigan School Bus Traffic Laws

Our state prohibits drivers from passing a school bus that’s stopped with its red lights flashing. Michigan motorists are required to stop at least 20 feet away. The law require drivers to bring their vehicles to “a full stop not less than 20 feet from the school bus.” They can’t resume driving until the bus lights are turned off or the bus starts moving.

Stop-arm cameras record drivers who unlawfully pass. Penalties range from a civil infraction and fines to a possible criminal conviction and jail time if a person is injured or killed during the unlawful passing of a school bus. This law applies to drivers who are:

• traveling in the same direction as the school bus (drivers “overtaking” the school bus); and
• traveling in the opposite direction or in the oncoming traffic (drivers “meeting” the school bus).

Divided Highways. State law says that if you’re approaching a stopped school bus on a divided roadway, you’re not required to stop provided there’s an intervening space, physical barrier, or dividing section that separates your traffic lane from the one in which the school bus is stopped.

Yellow Flashing Lights On A School Bus. Michigan statutes don’t specifically address this, but the Michigan State Police say that you should be ready to stop when you see a school bus’s overhead yellow lights flashing. Also, proceed with caution when the yellow hazard warning lights on the wheel wells are flashing.

When Another Person is Driving Your Vehicle. Know that when you loaning your car to someone, there’s a rebuttable presumption that a person is the driver who unlawfully passed a stopped school bus if there is proof that:

• the “particular vehicle” described in the ticket committed the violation; and
• the person was the “registered owner of the vehicle” at the time of the unlawful school-bus passing.

Stop Arm Camera Systems. Michigan law provides for stop arm camera systems to be installed to capture pictures or video of motorists who illegally pass a stopped school bus. These camera will capture the driver’s vehicle and license plate with the date, time and location of the violation. A stop-arm school bus camera can take pictures up to 200 feet in front of the school bus. These photos and video obtained is admissible in court cases prosecuting drivers charged with unlawfully passing a school bus.

Penalties for Passing a Stopped School Bus

Drivers who don’t stop for and/or who pass a school bus that’s stopped with its red lights flashing are subject to a fine between $100 and $500. That fine is doubled for unlawfully passing a stopped school bus if it happens in a school zone (anywhere within 1,000 feet of a school property line).

A driver who commits a serious moving violation within 20 feet of a stopped school bus that has its red lights flashing that results in injury or death can be found guilty of a crime and subject to a fine and possibly incarceration.

School Bus Safety Tips

• Be prepared to stop when you see a school bus’s yellow lights flashing;
• Stop at least 20 feet away from a stopped school bus with its red lights flashing:
• Don’t resume driving until the bus’s red lights are no longer flashing and you’re sure there aren’t any children around the bus or near your lane of traffic;
• If you’re behind a bus, allow more following distance than when driving behind a car. This gives you additional time to stop when the yellow lights start flashing. Rember that it’s illegal to pass a school bus that’s stopped to load or unload children.
• The area 10 feet around a school bus is the most dangerous for children, so stop far enough back to give them space to safely enter and exit the bus;
• Take care when driving behind or alongside school buses in residential or school areas where buses are likely to be loading or unloading; and
• Make sure to observe and comply with the school zone speed limit.

Contact Us

Buchanan Law says to slow down and pay strict attention when children and school buses are present, especially before and after school.

Have you or a loved one been injured by a driver who violated the Michigan school bus traffic laws? If so, contact a Michigan personal injury attorney at Buchanan Law right away. We offer a free consultation with one of our experienced school bus accident lawyers.