Up to $1,000 fine after not stopping for a school bus? Here’s a refresh on California rules

You could face up to $1,000 in fines and a revoked license if you don’t follow California laws regarding school bus stops.

But those rules are sometimes ignored by drivers.

For example, from Nov. 14, 2021, to Feb. 25, 2022, a total of 387 drivers were recorded illegally driving past school buses in Sacramento. The violations were equivalent to 1.3 drivers ignoring bus signals per day.

The data was collected through a Sacramento City Unified School District partnership with BusPatrol, a company that aims to reduce stop arm violations with AI-enabled technology. Through the pilot, five school buses in the district were equipped with stop-arm cameras in hopes to “help deter drivers from illegally passing stopped school buses.”

Here’s a refresher on California rules of the road when it comes to school bus stops and child safety, plus the penalties if you don’t follow them:

What are the rules?

When a school bus is preparing to make a stop, yellow lights will flash, letting traffic know its stop is approaching. Then red lights will flicker and a stop sign will extend outward, which signals to traffic it should stop. This likely means that children are getting off the bus.

According to California law, vehicles are required to stop when a bus makes a stop and has its red light and stop sign out. However, the driving rules do vary based on the road you’re on.

Vehicles driving on a two-way street are required to stop on both sides of the road. This also applies for two-way streets that have a middle turning lane. All vehicles in all lanes are required to stop.

For four lane roads, only vehicles that are on the side of the school bus are required to make a complete stop. The opposite side of the road can continue to flow with traffic, but cautiously.

Breakdown on the penalties

Driving past a stopped school bus can result in high penalties. Below is a breakdown of the cost of each offense.

• The first conviction can result in a fine from $150 to $250.
• The second conviction can result in a fine of $500 to $1,000.
• If convicted of a third violation within the span of three years, your driving privileges are revoked for a year.

A bus driver who witnesses a violation can make a report within 24 hours, according to California law. Stop arm cameras cannot currently cite drivers.

This story was originally published October 12, 2022 at 6:30 AM.