Motorists must wait when red lights are flashing
School has been in session for a few weeks now, but drivers still ask, “When is a motorist supposed to stop for a school bus that is displaying flashing red lights?”
School buses will have a flashing red signal if they were manufactured before Sept. 1, 1992. School buses manufactured after that date have the flashing red signal lights and a stop signal arm, a stop sign that extends out from the bus when the flashing red lights are activated.
Motorists who are traveling the same direction as the school bus must stop behind the school bus regardless of how many lanes are on the highway. Drivers can proceed past the school bus once the red lights are turned off.
Motorists who are traveling the opposite direction as the school bus only need to stop before passing the school bus if it is a two-lane roadway—one lane of traffic for each direction— and the highway is not divided. Drivers can move past the school bus once the red lights are off.
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