Many students rely on school buses to get them to and from school safely. School buses are designed to be safer than passenger vehicles in preventing crashes and injuries, and in every state, stop arm laws exist to protect children from other motorists. When schools are in session, remember to keep an eye out for school buses, children loading and unloading school buses, and children waiting alongside a road for their school bus.

No matter how you are approaching a school bus, you must stop and stay on any two-lane road when the flashing lights and/or stop arm are activated. Stop and stay applies to parking lots, including at schools, as well! No matter where you are, if you see flashing lights and an extended stop arm, stop and stay. It’s the law!

Yellow flashing lights indicate the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children. When operating on a two-lane road, regardless of the direction, drivers should slow down and prepare to stop their vehicle.

Red flashing lights and extended stop arms indicate the bus has stopped and children are getting on or off. When operating on a two-lane road, regardless of the direction, drivers must stop their vehicle and wait until the lights stop flashing, the extended stop arm is withdrawn, and the bus begins moving before they can start driving again.

On a four-lane road, only vehicles that are traveling in the same direction as the school bus are required to stop. Vehicles that are traveling in the opposite direction are not required to stop but should still use caution in the event children might run across the road.

On a divided highway with a median, only vehicles traveling in the same direction as the school bus must stop. Drivers traveling in the opposite direction are not required to stop.

If there are more than four lanes or four with a median, and no children are crossing the road to the opposite side, only drivers behind the school bus are required to stop.

Illegally passing a school bus in Missouri could result in a 90-day driver’s license suspension for the first offense or minimum 120-day driver’s license suspension for the second and subsequent offense. Penalties are heightened if a child is struck, injured, or killed.

From savemolives.com