5 New York School Bus Laws You Might Not Even Know

Now that school's all over the area are back, let's brush up a little on some N.Y. school bus laws that you might not know about.

Now a few of these laws apply to Connecticut drivers as well, but there are some that are exclusively for New York drivers. Since the kids in Duchess, Putnam, and Westchester just started back within the last week, see how many you know.

In New York State you must stop for a school bus that is flashing red lights even if it’s on the opposite side of a divided highway.
New York is one of the only states in America that makes it illegal for drivers to pass a school bus even if it’s across a divided road. If you fail to stop your car on the opposite side of the highway you may possibly get a ticket.

When stopping for a bus you must be at least 20 feet away.
Stopping too close to a school bus is also against the law in New York. Your car must remain a minimum of 20 feet from the back or front of a school bus when stopping. If you’re any closer, you could get a ticket.

Even after students leave the bus and the doors close you still may not be able to legally pass.
The law is very clear when it says no cars may pass a school bus while the red lights are flashing. Even if all children have left the bus and are clearly across the street and safe, you still cannot pass if the bus’ lights continue to flash. If the bus driver leave's their lights on by mistake you’ll just have to wait until they aror risk a ticket.

A bus driver can override flashing red lights.
Bus drivers have the authority to wave cars past a bus that is stopped. If you get a visual OK from the driver you are allowed to proceed.

First time offenders are in for a big fine, points and maybe even jail time.
If you fail to follow the traffic laws for school busses you first offenders could receive fines from $250 to $400. In addition, you’ll get an automatic five points on your license and could possibly serve 30 days in jail.

So how many did you get ????   Please keep these in mind when driving around. Remember safety First, the kids are counting on you.

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