Vehicles stopped behind a school bus with its red lights flashing must remain stopped until:
Answers
All students are off the bus.
The stop arm is retracted.
The stop arm is retracted and the bus resumes motion.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
The correct answer is:
The stop arm is retracted and the bus resumes motion.
Explanation:
When a school bus has its red lights flashing and the stop arm extended, it is signaling that students are either getting on or off the bus. To ensure the safety of children in these situations, the law requires that all vehicles, regardless of whether they are traveling in the same or opposite direction, must come to a complete stop when the bus is displaying these warning signals.
Vehicles must remain stopped until the stop arm is retracted and the bus resumes motion. This is crucial for preventing accidents and ensuring that children can cross the street safely. The stop arm serves as a clear indication that vehicles should not proceed because children may be crossing the street or walking near the bus.
Here’s why the other options are incorrect:
- All students are off the bus: While this is an important safety concern, the law does not specifically require that all students be off the bus before vehicles can proceed. The stop is only lifted when the bus is prepared to move again, ensuring that children are no longer in danger of crossing the street at that moment.
- The stop arm is retracted: The retraction of the stop arm alone does not necessarily mean it is safe to drive. Vehicles should only move when the bus begins to resume motion, ensuring that the children have had sufficient time to either board or disembark and are no longer in the vicinity of the bus.
By waiting for the bus to start moving again after the stop arm is retracted, drivers ensure that children have cleared the area safely and that it is indeed safe to proceed. This regulation is a vital component of child safety around school buses, designed to protect children as they transition between home and school.