Many students depend on school buses to safely get to and from school. School buses are built to be safer than passenger cars in preventing crashes and injuries, and all states have stop arm laws to protect children from other drivers. When schools are in session, stay alert for school buses, children loading and unloading, and kids waiting by the road for their bus.
No matter how you’re approaching a school bus, you must stop and remain stopped on any two-lane road when the flashing lights and/or stop arm are activated. Stop and stay also applies to parking lots, including those at schools! No matter where you are, if you see flashing lights and an extended stop arm, stop and stay. It’s the law!
Yellow flashing lights signal that the bus is about to stop to load or unload children. When driving on a two-lane road, regardless of the direction, drivers should reduce their speed and prepare to stop.
Red flashing lights and extended stop arms signal that the bus has stopped and children are getting on or off. When driving on a two-lane road, regardless of the direction, drivers must stop their vehicle and wait until the lights stop flashing, the extended stop arm is withdrawn, and the bus starts moving before they can begin driving again.
On a four-lane road, only vehicles traveling in the same direction as the school bus must stop. Vehicles going in the opposite direction don’t have to stop but should still be cautious in case children might run across the road.
On a divided highway with a median, only vehicles going in the same direction as the school bus need to stop. Drivers going in the opposite direction don’t have to stop.
If there are more than four lanes or four lanes with a median, and no children are crossing the road to the opposite side, only drivers behind the school bus are required to stop.
Illegally passing a school bus in Missouri can lead to a 90-day driver’s license suspension for the first offense, or at least a 120-day suspension for subsequent offenses. Penalties become more severe if a child is hit, injured, or killed.
