Illinois driving lesson · Turning, Parking & Special Stops
Roundabouts and school buses
A 3-minute lesson from the Illinois course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Roundabouts keep traffic flowing in one direction around a central island. School buses stop often and children cross nearby. The law is strict about stopping for a bus, and passing one is a serious violation.
Rotary or roundabout
An intersection where traffic travels counter-clockwise around a central island. It may have more than one lane.
You don't have to stop for a school bus when you are both on a four-lane roadway and the bus is stopped on the opposite side, facing the other direction.
On a two-lane country road, a school bus coming toward you stops and extends its stop arm. You must stop and stay stopped until the arm is pulled back and the lights go off, or the driver waves you on.
Check your understanding
Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
Which direction does traffic move around a roundabout's central island?
Counter-clockwise
Either direction depending on lane
Whichever way the exit is closest
Clockwise
Answer: Counter-clockwise
Traffic in a roundabout circulates counter-clockwise around the island.
On a two-lane road, you need not stop for a school bus loading passengers if you are approaching it from the opposite direction.
True
False
Answer: False
False. When approaching a stopped school bus from the opposite direction you must stop and remain stopped until the stop arm is withdrawn and the lights are off, or the driver signals you to pass. Only the four-lane opposite-direction case is exempt.
