Drivers in Iowa are being reminded to obey school bus stopping laws, or face stiff penalties.
On Tuesday, August 29th, Governor Kim Reynolds, along with other state leaders, drew attention to what a driver should do if a school bus is displaying yellow flashing lights:
- Come to a complete stop as quickly as possible.
- Stop at least 15 feet from the bus.
- Remain stopped until the flashing lights are turned off and the stop arm is pulled back in.
Think you know when stopping is required? Find out here
“Keeping Iowa’s students safe is fairly easy,” Lt. Gov. Gregg said. “But it takes awareness and commitment to be on the lookout for a school bus’s yellow flashing lights.”
Penalties for passing a stopped school bus got tougher back in March of 2012 when "Kadyn's Law" was passed. "Kadyn's Law," also known as the "Keep Aware Driving - Youth Need School Safety Act," was sparked from a incident that involved a seven-year-old girl was hit by a pickup while trying to cross the road to get on the school bus.
“Unfortunately, even with these increased penalties, we still have drivers who disobey the law,” Gov. Reynolds said, noting that there were 581 incidents in 2016 where drivers in Iowa failed to stop for a school bus.
In Illinois, the laws are outlined similarly. In a School Bus Safety document, these are the rules mentioned:
- When a school bus is stopped, vehicles in all lanes of traffic must stop
- Vehicles should stop at least 20 feet before reaching the school bus
- All vehicles must stop on a one-way roadway
- On a four-or-more lane roadway, all vehicles on bus side must stop
- Stop for school buses displaying flashing red lights and an extended stop arm