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Louisiana driving lesson · School Buses & Special Laws

Stopped school buses

A 3-minute lesson from the Louisiana course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.

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Read time
3 minutes
Course unit
School Buses & Special Laws
Checkpoint questions
6
Source pages
17, 92, 93

Passing a stopped school bus that's loading or unloading children is illegal in all 50 states, and in Louisiana it can cost you your license. Know when you must stop and the few road layouts where oncoming traffic doesn't have to.

30 feet

Minimum distance to stop from a school bus that is loading or unloading children

Handbook p. 92 ↗
100-500 feet

The bus turns on flashing yellow lights at least 100 but no more than 500 feet before its stop

Handbook p. 92 ↗

Know the rule

As the bus stops, its flashing red lights and stop signs activate. You must stop whether you're meeting the bus or traveling behind it.

Handbook p. 92 ↗

Know the rule

Wait for the bus to move and scan before driving again. Never pass a bus with its red lights flashing, on the right or on the left.

Handbook p. 92 ↗

You do NOT have to stop when:

  • The bus is in a loading zone completely off the road and pedestrians can't cross the road
  • You're across a ditch, grassy median, concrete barrier or other obstacle from the bus
  • You're oncoming on a four- or five-lane road separated by a two-way left-turn lane
Handbook p. 93 ↗

Know the rule

On a four-lane road that is NOT separated by a barrier, drivers in both directions must stop.

Handbook p. 93 ↗
School bus stop rule on a divided highway
Undivided four-lane road: traffic in both directions stops
School bus stop rule on a four-lane undivided road
Road divided by a median: oncoming traffic need not stop

Know the rule

During the school year, buses are most likely on the road during a three-hour period in the morning and a three-hour period in the afternoon. Following a bus, increase your distance and expect frequent stops.

Handbook p. 92 ↗

Know the rule

Failing to stop for a school bus loading or unloading children is grounds for losing your driving privileges.

Handbook p. 17 ↗

Put it into practice

You're on a five-lane road with a center two-way left-turn lane. A school bus stops in the opposite lanes with red lights flashing, so you don't have to stop. If you were behind that bus, you would have to stop at least 30 feet back.

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.

How far away must you stop from a school bus that is loading or unloading children?
  1. At least 30 feet
  2. At least 10 feet
  3. At least 50 feet
  4. At least 100 feet

Answer: At least 30 feet

Louisiana law requires stopping at least 30 feet from a loading or unloading school bus.

Handbook p. 92 ↗
How far before its stop will a school bus activate its flashing yellow warning lights?
  1. Exactly 30 feet
  2. 100 to 500 feet
  3. Between 20 and 50 feet
  4. 200 to 1,000 feet

Answer: 100 to 500 feet

Yellow lights activate between 100 and 500 feet before the bus actually stops.

Handbook p. 92 ↗
Must you stop for a school bus if you are traveling behind it, not just meeting it?
  1. No, only oncoming traffic must stop
  2. Only on a two-lane road
  3. Yes, whether meeting or following it
  4. Only if children are visible

Answer: Yes, whether meeting or following it

The stop requirement applies to traffic behind the bus as well as traffic meeting it.

Handbook p. 92 ↗
When is a driver NOT required to stop for a school bus with flashing red lights?
  1. When the bus's yellow lights are flashing
  2. When you are behind it on a four-lane road
  3. Never; you must always stop regardless of separation
  4. When a median, ditch, or barrier divides you

Answer: When a median, ditch, or barrier divides you

A physical separation like a median, ditch, or barrier removes the stopping requirement for that side of traffic.

Handbook p. 93 ↗
On a roadway with a dedicated two-way left-turn lane separating four or five lanes, must oncoming drivers stop for a stopped school bus?
  1. No, that layout exempts them
  2. Yes, this configuration always requires a stop
  3. Only if children are crossing
  4. Only drivers in the turn lane must stop

Answer: No, that layout exempts them

A roadway separated by a dedicated two-way left-turn lane is one of the specific exceptions to the stopping requirement.

Handbook p. 93 ↗
A driver approaches a school bus stopped completely off the roadway in a designated loading zone, where pedestrians cannot legally cross. Must the driver stop?
  1. Yes, for any stopped school bus
  2. Only if the bus's red lights are flashing
  3. Only during school hours
  4. No, not in this situation

Answer: No, not in this situation

The handbook specifically exempts buses stopped fully off the roadway in a loading zone where pedestrians can't cross.

Handbook p. 92 ↗
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