Tuesday, March 19, 2024

School is back, NCDOT reminding drivers to watch for school buses and follow rules of road

School is back and the NCDOT is reminding drivers to follow the rules of the road when it comes to stopped school buses. (File)

SOUTHEAST N.C. — School is back in session in New Hanover County. For those who might have forgotten over the summer, that means more morning and afternoon traffic as school buses make their way to and from their destinations.

As usual, the North Carolina Department of Transportation is urging drivers to follow the rules of the road when it comes to dealing with school buses.

The NCDOT has released this information graphic to help explain the laws of the road when it comes to stopped school buses (Port City Daily photo/COURTESY NCDOT)
The NCDOT has released this information graphic to help explain the laws of the road when it comes to stopped school buses (Port City Daily photo/COURTESY NCDOT)

According to the NCDOT, “All traffic must stop for a stopped bus unless it’s on a road of four or more lanes with a median or center turning lane. In those instances, oncoming traffic does not have to stop because children will not be crossing the road to reach the bus. Traffic following a bus must always stop with the bus, if in doubt, always stop for a stopped bus.”

Passing a stopped school bus that has the stop sign extended is not only unsafe, but it is against the law, and you could end up on camera.

Governor Roy Cooper passed a law that allows local governments to install cameras on the exterior of buses to catch those breaking the law and passing the stopped vehicles. For drivers who break the law and are caught doing so via an onboard camera, the fines range from $400 all the way up to $1,000, depending on the number of previous violations. Although being caught on camera does not result in an automatic criminal charge, police officers can use the video as evidence to help bring charges against the driver, according to NCDOT.

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