Question

Difficulty: MediumEmergency Vehicles, School Buses, and Work Zones

A motorist is driving on a roadway with two lanes in each direction separated by a continuous center left-turn lane. A school bus traveling in the opposite direction comes to a stop and activates its red flashing lights and extendable stop arm. What is the motorist legally required to do?

  1. Stop completely before reaching the bus and remain stopped until the red lights turn off and the stop arm is retracted.Answer
  2. B
    Continue driving at the posted speed limit because traffic traveling in the opposite direction across a turn lane is exempt from stopping.
  3. C
    Slow down to a maximum of 15 mph and proceed past the bus with caution if no pedestrians are visible.
  4. D
    Stop only if school children are actively stepping onto or off the bus.

Answer

The motorist must stop completely before reaching the school bus and remain stopped until the flashing red lights are turned off and the stop arm is retracted.
When a school bus displays flashing red lights and extends its stop arm, traffic in both directions must come to a complete stop unless the roadway is physically divided by an unpaved median or concrete barrier. A center turning lane does not qualify as a physical divider, so oncoming drivers are required to stop and remain stopped until the bus deactivates its signals.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the roadway configuration
The roadway consists of two lanes in each direction separated by a shared center turn lane, which lacks a physical median or barrier.
School bus stopping laws grant exemptions to oncoming traffic only when roads are separated by an unpaved median or raised physical barrier.
2
Determine the legal stopping requirement
Because there is no physical barrier separating traffic, drivers in all lanes traveling in both directions must stop.
A center left-turn lane does not constitute a physical separation under state traffic codes.
3
Identify the duration of the required stop
Drivers must stay stopped until the red lights stop flashing and the stop arm is fully pulled back.
Proceeding while lights are active violates mandatory school bus safety laws.

Key Concept

School bus stopping rules on multi-lane roads without physical medians
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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