FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Indiana State Police are reminding drivers to be careful and properly follow the rules when stop arms are out on school buses.
Reminders from ISP are below.
SCHOOL BUS WARNING SIGNS AND THEIR MEANING:
- First and foremost, motorists should avoid Distracted Driving behavior. In order to operate safely around or near a school bus, you need first to pay attention to the intentional warning signals, lights, and signs that are there to get your attention.
- Secondly, the presence alone of a large yellow school bus should alert drivers to the fact that there are presumably school age children in the immediate area, whether riding on the bus, or walking / waiting at their curbside bus stop.
- Prior to stopping, a bus driver will first initiate large Yellow flashing lights to alert drivers in both directions that the bus is preparing to stop… another indicator that children may be nearby. Motorists should slow down, prepare to stop, and observe for children nearby.
- Red flashing lights and an extended “stop sign” bus arm will indicate the bus has stopped and children are loading or unloading the bus. Motorists MUST stop their vehicles and wait until the red lights stop flashing and the extended stop arm is fully retracted BEFORE proceeding to pass the school bus.
PENALTIES FOR DISREGARDING A SCHOOL BUS STOP ARM:
- Under Indiana law under IC 9-21-12-1 makes it illegal to pass a stopped school bus that has its red lights flashing and stop-arm extended, except on highways divided by a barrier. If the highway is divided by a barrier, motorists are only required to stop if they are traveling in the same direction as the school bus.
- First time violators of this law will receive a ticket and face steep fines and drivers license suspensions for up to 90 days; repeat offenders may face a license suspension up to one year.
- Under Indiana’s Reckless Driving statute IC 9-21-8-52, Misdemeanor & Felony criminal penalties exist for violators that recklessly disregard school bus stop arms, and/or violations that result in a crash, or crash causing injury.
