Stop for School Buses: Safety and Law Go Hand in Hand

With students across Alabama back in class, school buses are once again a daily presence on the roads. Local officials are reminding drivers to slow down, pay attention, and know the law when approaching buses that are loading or unloading children.

Beyond the obvious safety risks, there are also financial consequences. Violating Alabama’s school bus laws can bring heavy fines and penalties.

Here’s what drivers need to know:

• Flashing Amber Lights Mean Warning
  School buses activate amber lights before stopping. These serve as a signal for other drivers to prepare to stop.

• Signal Arms Mean Stop
  When a bus extends its stop arm and flashes red lights, drivers must stop—whether approaching from the front or behind—unless the roadway is divided by a physical barrier.

• Two-Lane or Undivided Highways
  All traffic, in both directions, must stop when a bus is stopped. This includes four- to six-lane highways if they are not divided by a median or physical barrier.

• Divided Highways
  On highways with four or more lanes that include a barrier or unpaved median, only traffic following the bus is required to stop. Oncoming vehicles should proceed with caution.

Simply put: if the only divider is a turn lane—or nothing at all—everyone stops. If there is a concrete barrier, grassy median, or other separation, only the traffic behind the bus must stop.

Law enforcement and school officials urge all motorists to remember: children’s lives are at stake. Taking a few extra seconds to stop could prevent a tragedy.