A 3-minute lesson from the Michigan course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Children getting on and off buses can dart into the road without warning. A school bus's lights tell you exactly what to do — and failing to stop costs double fines.
20 feet
Stop at least this far from a school bus with red overhead lights flashing
You don't need to stop for a school bus on the other side of a highway divided by a barrier — a concrete or grass median, island or other structure separating traffic. Vehicles on the bus's side must stop.
Fines for failing to stop for a school bus are double the usual moving-violation fine. Violations causing injury or death can bring higher fines and imprisonment.
On a two-lane road with only a painted center line, a bus coming toward you stops with red lights flashing. You must stop at least 20 feet away. Only a physical barrier like a median excuses traffic going the other way.
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.
A school bus ahead activates its red overhead lights to load students. How many feet back must you stop?
15 feet
10 feet
30 feet
20 feet
Answer: 20 feet
You must stop at least 20 feet from a school bus with its red overhead lights flashing.
