School bus at intersection question
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Anonymous
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I've Googled this, but can't find a definitive answer. All the school bus passing laws seem to be if you are on same street as the bus.
My situation (in Maryland) when leaving my neighborhood on residential streets is at a four-way stop. Sometimes a school bus is picking up kids at the corner perpendicular to me. So is it OK for me to keep going straight on my street, past the front of the bus, after stopping? I think so, but I want to be careful since there are a lot of kids running around. Yesterday, the car behind me honked for me to go, so I did. |
Anonymous
| You know, that's a good question. I'm in Virginia. There's a school bus who stops at an intersection exactly as you describe, but in my case, I'm turning right. I figure I'm ok because I'm not even coming close to a path where children might be, but I'm not too sure if you are going straight. |
Anonymous
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Good question.
I think if the bus has the stop sign out, you have to stop in all directions. Turning right--I don't know. I have a similar question. If it is a 3 lane traffic and the bus farthest to the right stops and pick up kids. It happen to be at a traffic light but the lights are green. Do the cars on the other 2 lanes, especially the lane farthest left need to stop? I think I do but with so many bigger cars and trucks blocking my way, how am I to see that the school bus stopped on the farthest right. |
Anonymous
Yes, |
Anonymous
No. You have to stop until bus goes. |
Anonymous
| Is the bus facing the intersection? If so, I'd stop. If it's facing away, I might not. |
Anonymous
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the kids boarding the bus can be coming from any and all directions. so you are required to stop.
the only time you can proceed when a school bus has it's lights on is when the road has a solid median separating the road. Are you in that much of a hurry to wait a minute for the kids to be safe |
Anonymous
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This is from the Virginia Code. I'm taking it to mean you cannot go straight in the OP's scenario, or turn right. Although it could stand to be clearer.
46.2-859. Passing a stopped school bus; prima facie evidence. A person is guilty of reckless driving who fails to stop, when approachingfrom any direction, any school bus which is stopped on any highway, privateroad or school driveway for the purpose of taking on or discharging children,the elderly, or mentally or physically handicapped persons, and to remainstopped until all the persons are clear of the highway, private road orschool driveway and the bus is put in motion. The driver of a vehicle,however, need not stop when approaching a school bus if the school bus isstopped on the other roadway of a divided highway, on an access road, or on adriveway when the other roadway, access road, or driveway is separated fromthe roadway on which he is driving by a physical barrier or an unpaved area.The driver of a vehicle also need not stop when approaching a school buswhich is loading or discharging passengers from or onto property immediatelyadjacent to a school if the driver is directed by a law-enforcement officeror other duly authorized uniformed school crossing guard to pass the schoolbus. This section shall apply to school buses which are equipped with warningdevices prescribed in 46.2-1090 and are painted yellow with the words"School Bus" in black letters at least eight inches high on the front andrear thereof. Only school buses which are painted yellow and equipped withthe required lettering and warning devices shall be identified as schoolbuses. The testimony of the school bus driver, the supervisor of school buses or alaw-enforcement officer that the vehicle was yellow, conspicuously marked asa school bus, and equipped with warning devices as prescribed in 46.2-1090is prima facie evidence that the vehicle is a school bus. |
Anonymous
| OP here. My inclination is to stop. But the impatient person behind me made me think it might be OK to go. The school bus is facing me on the right. |
Anonymous
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Page 16 of the VA driver's manual has an illustration that is helpful. So yes, both OP (going straight) and PP (turning right) must stop. One way to think of it is that the law is designed not just to protect the kids immediately loading/unloading, but to protect kids who are running from any potential direction to catch the bus. If someone behind you honks, let them. They can go around if they want to disobey the law.
http://www.dmv.state.va.us/webdoc/pdf/dmv39.pdf |
Anonymous
Drivers are rude and don't always follow the rules - or notice there's a stopped bus. Ignore and wait. You should stop. |
Anonymous
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Seems pretty clear:
You must stop for stopped school buses with flashing red lights and an extended stop sign when you approach from any direction on a highway, private road or school driveway. Stop and remain stopped until all persons are clear and the bus moves again. You must also stop if the |
Anonymous
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Ignore the other driver. Many people around here don't know the rules. If your instinct is to stop, hold your ground. People are stupid.
Case in point: I live near a private school that hires cops in the afternoons to help direct traffic sometimes because the entrance to their lot is on a major road but is a left turn with no light or turn lane, which can cause backups. A few weeks ago, I was driving down this road and an MCPS bus pulled up from the other direction, stopped at the entrance to that lot, and put its red lights on. No median and cops were already standing by the road, so they walked out to help with the students and we all stopped, both directions...except one guy who apparently thought if he drove by the cop at 10mph, he was invisible. I could hear the irate officer banging on his window and screaming at him 10 cars back with my windows up. Drivers are dumb. Do not get pressured by some ignoramus behind you. |
Anonymous
Agreed. |
Anonymous
Page 16 does not have anything to do with buses (?). It talks about how to go around a roundabout and how to pass another vehicle. (?) |