A lot of people don’t seem to understand when or where or if they should be stopping for a school bus. Anytime you are driving and can see a school bus you need to pay attention! Understanding what they are doing and why will help you make the right decision.
Understanding the lights
Understanding the lights on the school bus is essential to knowing what you should be doing.
WARNING LIGHTS
The warning lights are amber in colour and are located at the top of the bus. When engaged, these light will flash intermittently.
A school bus driver activates these lights AT LEAST 100 feet before stopping. When these amber lights flash you should immediately be prepared to stop.
The hazard lights are amber in colour and are located at the bottom of the bus. When engaged, these light will flash simultaneously.
Always use caution when approaching a stopped school bus. When the hazard lights are flashing, you are not required to stop, but, proceed with caution! School buses must use the hazards when they are stopping at railroad crossings, you do NOT have to stop for a bus at a railroad crossing, unless the red flashing lights and stop sign are on.
STOP LIGHTS
The stop lights are red in colour and are located at the top of the bus. When engaged, these light will also flash intermittently. The stop arm/stop sign is on the drivers side of the school bus just behind the drivers window. There may on some buses be an additional stop sign closer to the rear of the bus.
You MUST STOP for a school bus when the red lights and stop sign are flashing. This means that children are getting off, or on, the bus. Stop at least 20 feet from the bus and remain stopped until the lights are turned off.
HAZARD LIGHTS
The hazard lights are amber in colour and are located at the bottom of the bus. When engaged, these light will flash simultaneously.
Always use caution when approaching a stopped school bus. When the hazard lights are flashing, you are not required to stop, but, proceed with caution! School buses must use the hazards when they are stopping at railroad crossings, you do NOT have to stop for a bus at a railroad crossing, unless the red flashing lights and stop sign are on.
This next image shows you when you do have to stop and when you don’t
On a side note: Bicycles when using roads, MUST abide by the highway traffic act and MUST obey the same rules for the school buses and Stop when lights are flashing.
I was behind a school bus and red lights were flashing but the side arm was not extended
I stopped
Other cars went around me and the bus
Was I right to stop?
Hi Susan,
It actually depends on which lights were flashing.
If it was the lower lights that were flashing together(at the same time) then these are the hazard lights and no, you do not have to stop. These lights must be put on when a School bus is stopping at rail road tracks. Other motorist do not have to stop for these busses.
Now, if the red lights at the top of the bus are flashing left right left right type of pattern, then yes you need to stop. These lights Should go on when the stop sign arm has been activated. They also go off when a bus has been sitting with its orange warning lights ( also located at the top of the bus) and the driver opens the door to let students on or off, this will also activate the stopping arm.
If it were the top lights and no arm was out then the bus should be reported for a faulty arm.
Remember:
Top lights on the bus are for loading and unloading students.
Bottom lights are just like the ones on your vehicle.
Hope this answered your question.
Do all school bus models have a stop arm ? Including older models ? And are the lower lights always the hazard lights ?
Hi Natasha,
A “School” bus must have the stop sign and arm and the bottom lights are the hazard and brake lights. Now, Just because it looks like a school bus doesn’t mean it is a school bus. Any bus like vehicle operating other than a “School” bus, must have the words School Bus removed, or painted over.
Hi Natasha,
School busses should have an arm, and the lower lights should always be hazards and brakes. Hazards and brake light flash together, while the warner orange and the stop for kids lights flash out of sync meaning left right left right. the key here is they should. A bus not being used for Official school events should have the word “School Bus” covered up as well.
With reds flashing and arm out how far behind the school bus must I stop? I have read 20feet AND also 20metres, which is approx 4-5 car lengths long. That’s a BIG difference in length. Should I believe the metric is Canadian and “feet” is American? Thank you.
Hi Judy,
Prohibition on passing school bus
s. 137(2)
137(2) Subject to subsection (3), the driver of a vehicle approaching a school bus from the front or the rear must bring the vehicle to a stop not less than five m from the school bus and must not pass the school bus if any of the following equipment on the school bus required under the regulations is operating: Flashing Reds
So from the front or back of the bus you must stop approximately a car and a half length away from the bus. The average length of a vehicle is 4.5 meters so be safe and do a car and a half.
I answered a driving quiz which stated TWICE that the driver on the “RIGHT” must yield to the driver on the left at a four way stop. This was confusing (& upsetting) so I re-read the questions and grabbed a screen shot of the “wrong” quiz answer. Should I delete that from my mind because the correct answer is “the car on the LEFT yields to the driver to his RIGHT”? Thank you.
Hi Judy,
4 ways are first come first serve. In a situation where two vehicles arrive at the same time, the vehicle on the right, has the right of way.
Hi Judy, If your answering the MPI quizzes, the questions tend to be flipped somewhat and then they will confuse the student. for example the correct STATEMENT is “the vehicle on the “right” has the right of way” the quiz will confuse you with an answer written out like this ” the vehicle on the “left” must yield to the driver on the right” The key is to find the correct answer and just carefully read the quiz answers and answers.
I was driving down a road and a bus was driving towards me, flashed it’s yellow lights, and then turned down a different road. I continued driving as we were now on different roads. There were two trees but as I passed by the intersecting road the bus was stopped by the corner I was passing. Was I supposed to stop? I could not see if the red lights were on.
Hi Nicolette,
A couple things, if the bus is on the opposite side of the road and separated by a physical barrier (Boulevard) you do not need to stop when the flashing reds and arm is out.
The intermittent flashing yellows are warnings that the reds will be going on…very soon or not so soon, depends on the bus driver and the kids. If the bus is on a different cross street then No you don’t need to stop for the reds.
Hi Nicolette, If you are on the same street (either direction IF there is no solid median) then you must stop if the stop lights are flashing, orange be ready for it.
Hi
I was wondering if a school bus stop with right side indicator on, then the opposite direction traffic should be stop or can proceed with caution.
No red/Amber light flashing is turned on instead right side indicator.
I am so confused
Hi Deep
If the lower lights of the buss are being used, those are the same as the lights on your vehicle. He most like pulled over to stop on the side of the road. He correctly used his indicator on and perhaps forgot to turn it off. The upper lights on the bus are the ones that you need to be ready to stop or not.
I was at a red light stopped about 2 cars behind the first car. School bus turns on the road I am on – about 3 feet behind me the bus stops and puts its red lights on. The cars in-front of me proceed with the light turning green. Should I have gone or stayed stopped since the bus was behind me and I had the green light. My gut tells me I should have stopped.
Hi Mike,
If the bus is behind in the opposite direction already, they you can proceed.
If the school bus stops at 4 way stop with lights on and children are getting off. Do all sides needs to stop or just the back and the front of the bus traffic needs to stop.