School will be back in session in only a short while. Those familiar roads that you drive every day may soon have flashing yellow lights and if you don’t notice them you may be in for a large fine. Base penalties for passing a stopped school bus include a $250 fine, but the violation is considered reckless driving and could be subject to additional penalties as a Class 1 misdemeanor. Aside from a fine you may injure or even kill a child if you aren’t obeying school zone warnings. More school-aged children from 6 to 7 a.m., 7 to 8 a.m. and from 3 to 4 p.m. than any other hours of the day, according to a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
As Virginia car accident injury attorneys we want to make sure drivers know that traffic heading in both directions must stop for a school bus with its stop arm in use. The only exception is offered to vehicles heading in the opposite direction with a median separating traffic. All motorists should be prepared for unexpected actions by children approaching or exiting a school bus, according to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.
The DMV suggests stopping distances that motorists should consider when approaching a school bus. Drivers heading in both directions must stop for a school bus with its stop arm in use. The only exception is offered to vehicles heading in the opposite direction with a median separating traffic. All motorists should be prepared for unexpected actions by children approaching or exiting a school bus, according to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.