You will notice a change in the format of the lights on school buses as students head back to school.
The familiar red flashing lights will still be there but in addition, the wording on the back of the bus now reads “DO NOT PASS WHEN RED LIGHTS FLASHING.”
You'll also notice amber warning lights at the top of the bus, along with the traditional red ones.
Drivers approaching a slowing school bus from the rear with its overhead amber lights flashing need to be extra cautious, slow down, and prepare to stop.
These overhead flashing amber lights mean that the bus is coming to a stop to pick up or drop off passengers. The only exception is on a highway divided by a median, where drivers on the other side of the median from the school bus are not required to stop. A median is a raised, lowered, or earth strip dividing a road where vehicles travel in both directions.
You must stop whenever you approach a stopped school bus with its overhead red lights flashing or its stop arm activated, regardless of whether you are behind the bus or approaching it from the front. When approaching the bus from the front, stop at a safe distance for children to get off the bus and cross the road in front of you.
If you are coming from behind the bus, stop at least 20 metres away. Do not go until the bus moves or the overhead red lights have stopped flashing and its stop arm is no longer activated.
In addition to the overhead red flashing lights, school buses use a stop arm on the driver’s side of the bus which will signal that the bus has stopped to pick up or drop off passengers. Drivers are required to remain stopped until the arm folds away and all lights stop flashing.
If you are on a road with a median strip, only vehicles coming from behind the bus must stop. You must obey the school bus law on any road, no matter how many lanes or what the speed limit is. Be prepared to stop for a school bus at any time, not just within school hours.
It is unlawful to fail to stop for a stopped school bus that has its overhead red lights flashing or its stop arm activated. Registered owners can be charged, even if they were not driving at that time.
