Schools Are Open – Review When You May Safely Pass a School Bus
Schools around South Jersey are getting back to work this week and that means school buses will be picking up and dropping off students in your neighborhood.
If you are a little rusty about when you may and may not pass a school bus while driving, take a second to review the New Jersey rules of the road and make it a safe year at school for our South Jersey school kids!
Following the rules
It is very important to pay attention and follow all traffic rules when driving around school buses. All school buses have flashing lights and a stop arm to alert you when to stop.
Flashing yellow lights
Yellow lights will begin to flash to warn drivers that a bus is approaching a stop. This is your signal to slow down and prepare to stop.
Flashing red lights
If you are approaching a school bus from either direction with flashing red lights, you must stop at least 25 feet away from the bus. If you are driving on the opposite side of the road with a median in the middle, you must then slow down to 10 mph.
Extended stop arm
Do not pass a bus in either direction when its stop arm is extended. However, if the bus has stopped in front of a school, you may then pass it from either direction at no more than 10 mph.
Here's a helpful graphic, courtesy of the Atlantic City Police Facebook page, about school bus rules in New Jersey.