School is back in session and that means school buses are back on the road. Be vigilant of kids around intersections and watch for school zones. One local police department put out this guide as to when to stop and when not to stop for buses in my state:
If you are required to stop, there is no excuse not do so. On the other hand, if you are not required to stop, don’t! This morning I saw 2 cars in front of me in a panic stop on a 45mph roadway. A driver on my side of the road had stopped needlessly because there was a school bus loading 3 lanes away across a center turn lane.
Know the rules of the road and follow them, that means keep traffic flowing when you need to.
Friend had a school bus servicing her kids. There was a right turn lane where the bus stopped. Bus was not allowed to stop in the turn lane. She witnessed a few people passing the bus in the turn lane as kids were exiting the bus.
And in NY, all traffic must stop, even on divided highway.
Ever since i ran a stopped school bus, my eyes have been everywhere possible.
I asked a question on Quora, Reddit and here at CarTalk about how to fight the infraction. Everyone at Quora and Reddit told me that not even a lawyer could help me as this kind of infraction is extremely serious and enforceable. Many told me they hired the most skilled traffic lawyer there was and still lost.
CarTalk members, including you, suggested I lawyer up, so I gambled the chance and did. I hired the same lawyer who bailed me out of the railroad gate incident and he successfully beat the ticket. I was never told to attend traffic school or anything like that.
Thank God.
I don’t think a school bus can ever catch me again.
I forgot to mention. My deaf neighbor ( a married couple ) received his first school bus infraction just 3 months after I got mine. His situation is weird.
He was coming out of a driveway when he spotted a stopped school bus to his left. The school bus was far away from where he was, too. He made a right turn and headed up the street in the right direction.
I don’t understand why he would get a ticket for that ??? Needless to say, he lost his case.
I did recommend my lawyer to him but he refused to hire a lawyer due to the high cost and thought being deaf would play in his favor when presenting himself in front of the judge.
A lot of people worry when they see a school bus, especially those who do not want to violate school buses.
I remember when my lawyer first learned about my school bus infraction, his eyebrow raised and his lips moved in a way that looked concerned.
“ Mr. Clueless, a school bus violation is a serious offense you know ?”
“ I guess I’m doomed this time ?”
“ When was the last time you received a traffic violation ?”
“ From that railroad gate incident “
“ And that’s been a long time. This is good news and might help your case .”
I live in a busy area. Main road consists of 6 lanes. Some times 8 lanes. Lots of trucks on the road ( very tall and long trucks) that often block our view from seeing what’s going on from the other side of the road. My car is very low ( it’s a Lexus IS sport sedan ).
I see very often around here police officers pulling over drivers after a school bus is stopped.
And since this offense is serious and comes with 6 points on drivers license as well possible jail time, it’s no wonder Clueless is scared of them.
That’s an awfully early start for schools…my daughter’s high school just started yesterday. Of course we go until middle of June. How are kids supposed to help get the harvest in from the fields if school starts Aug 1?
Also it can still be pretty warm in August and most schools don’t have A/C…
Isn’t it great that everyone puts their children’s well-being ahead of everything else? Normally the stop is a few minutes and everyone can wait that long.
A year or two ago I was stopped behind a bus for special needs children. They were letting off a boy in a wheel chair. The bus driver had trouble getting the lift down and then back up. I had to wait about ten minutes for the bus driver to move on. Stuff happens.
When I told the folks here that a school bus dangerously stopped around a corner on a hill letting kids off, they believed the school bus stopped safely and it was on me to ensure that I could stop my vehicle for the bus.
Heck, if something like that happened in Jamaica, a flag person would be warning drivers of the stopped school bus, as there is no other way to know until you drive down the hill.
EDIT: They started August 4th, but even my son who is about to turn 37 started school the 1st full week of August, been that way a long time now, but the last day of school will be May 20th 2026…
All our schools have full HVAC systems, so under normal conditions, the heat doesn’t stop school to often… Now if the temp drops to 20* or colder, they can/will close the schools no matter the weather due to the extreme (for here anyway) temps for the safety of the students…
