School Bus Laws

  • PENNSYLVANIA’S SCHOOL BUS STOPPING LAW

     

    • Motorists must stop at least 10 feet away from school buses that have their red lights flashing and stop arm extended.

    • Motorists must stop when they are behind a bus, meeting the bus or approaching an intersection where a bus is stopped.

    • Motorists following or traveling alongside a school bus must also stop until the red lights have stopped flashing, the stop arm is withdrawn, and all children have reached safety.

    • If physical barriers such as grassy medians, guide rails or concrete median barriers separate oncoming traffic from the bus, motorists in the opposing lanes may proceed without stopping.

    • Do not proceed until all the children have reached a place of safety.



    PENALTIES

    If you are convicted of violating Pennsylvania’s School Bus Stopping Law, you will receive all the following penalties:

    1. 60-day Driver’s License Suspension

    2. Five (5) points on your driving record

    3. $250.00 fine (plus court costs)
     These penalties apply when passing a school bus that is not equipped with a side stop arm enforcement system. A person issued a violation for passing a school bus equipped with a side stop signal arm enforcement system will receive a $300 fine in the mail if found liable.

    KNOW YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

    • 1.5 million children are transported on Pennsylvania roads each day.
    • These children are transported more than 320 million miles to school each year.
    • Every year children are needlessly injured or killed by drivers passing stopped school buses.
    • OUR CHILDREN’S SAFETY IS IN YOUR HANDS!!!!!!

     

    SCHOOL BUS LAW FOR ENTERING A SCHOOL BUS

    Parents are only authorized to enter and ride a school bus when they are chaperoning a school-sponsored trip and are approved by the corresponding school.

    If parents have problems they would like to discuss with school bus drivers, they are to call the schools and schedule appointments. School bus drivers cannot hold conversations at bus stops since this can create dangerous conditions taking the drivers' attention away from the safety of the children and the traffic situation. This can also cause a delay in the drivers' schedule and tie up traffic, causing unnecessary problems.

    If the parents want to deliver a note to the school bus driver, they may give the note to their child to give to the driver.

    Please read the bill below that addresses the School Bus Law pertaining to unlawfully entering a school bus. Thank you for your cooperation.

    SCHOOL BUS LAW

    A bill was passed during the 2001 General Assembly session to clarify and strengthen the law pertaining to persons who interfere with the operation of public school buses.

    Section 1. G.S. 14-132-2 addresses willful trespassing upon, damaging, or impeding the progress of a public school bus.

    (a) Any person who shall unlawfully and willfully demolish, destroy, deface, injure, burn, or damage any public school bus or public school activity bus shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
    (b) Any person who shall enter a public school bus or public school activity bus after being forbidden to do so by the authorized school bus driver in charge thereof, or the school principal to whom the public school bus or public school activity bus is assigned, shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
    (c) Any occupant of a public school bus or public school activity bus who shall refuse to leave said bus upon demand of the authorized driver in charge thereof, or upon demand of the principal of the school to which said bus is assigned, shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
    (d) Any person who shall unlawfully and willfully stop, impede, delay, or detain any public school bus or public school activity bus being operated for public school purposes shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.