Stopping for school buses

Stopping for school buses

During the school year and even during the summer holidays, school buses will be on the road. The following information is extremely important as to your obligations as a driver in regards to school buses within the Province of Ontario.

School buses in Ontario, regardless of their size, are chrome yellow and display the words ‘School Bus’. Drivers of all types of vehicles must be prepared to stop for a school bus at anytime, not just during school hours.

Rules to remember

• No matter what direction you are travelling, you must stop whenever you approach a stopped school bus with its upper alternating red lights flashing.

• School buses display a stop sign arm on the drivers side of the bus that swings out when the red bus lights begin to flash. Do not move your vehicle until the arm folds away and all the lights stop flashing.

• The only time you are not required to stop is when you are travelling on a road with a median and the school bus is coming from the opposite direction. A median is a raised or lowered concrete, or earth strip dividing a road where vehicles travel in opposite directions on each side

• Where there is no median and you are coming from the opposite direction, stop at a safe distance to allow the children to exit the bus and cross the road in front of you. If you are approaching the bus from the rear, the law requires that you stop at least twenty metres behind the bus. Do not start moving your vehicle until the bus is in motion or the lights have been deactivated.

• All school buses carrying children must stop at railway crossings that do not have gates or railway crossing. signs The alternating red lights will not be used for these types of stops so always be alert.
Penalties

The penalties for disobeying the flashing signals on a school bus are as follows:

• For failing to stop for a school bus you can be fined a total of $490 and loose six demerit points for the first offence.

• The new law recently introduced, makes vehicle owners responsible for their vehicle at all times. Even if someone else is using your vehicle and commits the offence you can be charged. It pays to be alert..

Remember – ‘Protect Our Future’ – Stop for School Buses.

TORONTO POLICE SERVICE