With the school year upon us and hundreds of school buses hitting the roads again throughout Bucks County, TMA Bucks (Transportation Management Association) is reminding everyone of Pennsylvania’s School Bus Stopping Law.
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All motorists must stop at least 10 feet away from school buses that have their red lights flashing and stop arm extended and not proceed until all the children have reached a place of safety. Motorists must also make a complete stop when they are behind a bus, meeting the bus or approaching an intersection where a bus is stopped. If you are following or traveling alongside a school bus you must also stop until the red lights have stopped flashing, the stop arm is withdrawn and all children have reached safety. If physical barriers such as grassy medians, guide rails or concrete median barriers separate oncoming traffic from the bus motorists in the opposing lanes may proceed without stopping but should still be alert.
“School bus safety is obviously a high priority in Bucks County with so many school districts in the area,” said TMA Bucks executive director Bill Brady. “Students, parents, teachers, administrators, transportation personnel and the public all play important roles in keeping our children safe while on or around the school bus. Bucks County alone had 239 violations for the School Bus Stopping Law in 2013 which is far too many. Informational reminders like this can go a long way in avoiding a potential meaningless tragedy.”
According to PennDOT, the penalties if convicted of violating Pennsylvania’s School Bus Stopping Law include a $250 fine, five points on your driving record and a 60-day license suspension.
