The State of Washington state has established laws that drivers must follow when following and passing a school bus. A driver must stop when a school bus emits a signal, usually visual, and wait until the signal ends before they may proceed. These tickets generally have hefty fines upwards of $500.00. The proceeds from these fines go towards Washington’s school safety zone account to promote traffic safety for its students.
Under Washington law RCW 46.61.370, stopping for a school bus is required when the motorist is driving in the same direction as the bus, even if there are more than one lane going the same direction.
For drivers heading the opposite direction of the school bus, they must stop on a two-lane road (one in each direction). However, on a three lane road (one each direction plus a center turn lane), or with two or more lanes each direction a vehicle moving in the opposite direction to the bus need not stop, or if a two-lane roadway is divided by barrier.
Bus drivers will use red stop signs and lights to signal such a stop to load or offload children.
Under RCW 46.37.190 (2) “Every school bus and private carrier bus shall, in addition to any other equipment and distinctive markings required by this chapter, be equipped with a “stop” signal upon a background not less than fourteen by eighteen inches displaying the word “stop” in letters of distinctly contrasting colors not less than five and nine-tenths inches high, and shall further be equipped with signal lamps mounted as high and as widely spaced laterally as practicable, which shall be capable of displaying to the front two alternately flashing red lights located at the same level and to the rear two alternately flashing red lights located at the same level and these lights shall have sufficient intensity to be visible at five hundred feet in normal sunlight.”
Bus drivers may also use yellow lights to indicate they are preparing to stop, or are preparing to deploy the lights and stop sign. Many drivers are cited because they tried to “beat” the red lights because they did not want to wait. Bus drivers are trained to be on the lookout for cars and use caution when making pickups and drop-offs, but the duty remains on other drivers to pay attention and obey the law to avoid an accident and keep children safe.
Do not begin moving again until after the stop sign paddle retracts and the flashing red lights turn off.