As stated in California Vehicle Code section 22454, motorists MUST bring their vehicle to a stop immediately in either direction for any school bus that displays a flashing red light signal or a stop arm signal (visible from the front OR the rear) and shall not proceed past the school bus until the flashing red light signal or stop arm signal has ceased operation. The only time a driver does NOT need to stop for a school bus with a flashing red sign is when they are on a divided highway and the driver is on the opposite side of the road (driving the opposing direction.) A “divided highway” would mean either a road having a cemented divider, OR a two sets of double yellow lines (when there are 4 yellow lines in total). A highway (all roads, streets, drives, avenues are by definition considered highways) is considered divided if it has a dividing section two or more feet wide and has double, double yellow lines. Drivers STILL must stop, regardless of the direction that they are going, if there is a single double yellow line. Again, if in doubt if you should stop for a school bus, ALWAYS err on the side of caution. If a road is not divided by cement or does not contain two sets of double yellow lines (4 yellow lines), you MUST stop, even if you are not on the same side of the road as the bus. Children can still dart out into traffic, and they may be unseen by driving motorists if they are blocked by the bus. Remember, our children’s safety is in your hands.
