It might not make for high-minded legal debate, but the fact is that, every year, people need to be reminded about their responsibilities when it comes to sharing the roadways with school buses. With Dade County schools going back into session, it’s wise to bear in mind some of Florida’s laws regarding school buses:

Florida law requires that motorists completely stop their vehicles upon approaching any school bus which displays its flashing red lights and which has its red stop sign extended. Motorists cannot pass the school bus until the stop signals have been withdrawn. Those who violate this law are subject to a substantial fine. If drivers violate the law a second time within five years, the substantial fine applies along with a license suspension for 90 days to 6 months. Any vehicle that passes a school bus on the side that children enter and exit, while the stop sign is extended, faces an even stiffer fine for the first offense, as well as a license suspension of 180 days to one year, along with a mandatory hearing.

That said, a driver of a vehicle operating on a divided highway with an unpaved space of 5 feet, a raised median or a physical barrier is not required to stop when proceeding in an opposite direction of a stopped school bus. Even so, it only makes good driving sense to slowdown when in the vicinity of school buses. Simply because you are not required to stop does not mean that you should cease to exercise caution.

The court could also require offenders of Florida’s school bus laws to attend an approved course in driver improvement. Should any such driver fail to finish the class within 90 days after receiving notice to attend it, he or she could have their driver license canceled until the course is successfully completed.

While it may seem obvious to obey the above provisions, it is unfortunately the case that many drivers simply do not.  Media reports abound with instances in which drivers – particularly in certain neighborhoods and locations – seem to have little to no regard for the stop signals of school buses.

It is all too easy to get in a hurry and, seeing that all children at the stop have evidently boarded the bus, get a jump on traffic by passing a school bus before the signals are canceled. Tragically, there have been reported cases in which a child, late for the bus, sprints into the street in order to catch a bus that’s about to head for school. The consequences for shaving an extra second or two off your commute could be catastrophic.

As school gets underway, bear in mind one of the state’s safety mottoes: “Stop on Red, Kids Ahead.”