Nebraska driving lesson · Sharing the Road & Crashes
School buses and snowplows
A 3-minute lesson from the Nebraska course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Always watch for students when a school bus is stopped. Its lights come in two stages: amber means get ready, red means stop. Snowplows are the other big vehicle you'll meet on winter roads.
School bus amber warning lights
Know the rule
Amber overhead lights mean the bus is about to stop to load or unload children. The amber lights stay on until the bus door opens.
When the bus door opens, the red stop lights and STOP arm activate. Stop a reasonable distance from the bus and stay stopped until the driver retracts the arm and turns off the red lights.
Not stopping when approaching or overtaking a bus with its stop lights on and stop arm extended is unlawful. The only exception: approaching from the opposite direction on a roadway divided by a median.
On a two-lane road, a school bus coming toward you stops and swings out its STOP arm. You must stop too, because there's no median. Stay stopped until the arm is retracted and the red lights go off.
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.
When a school bus activates its amber warning lights, drivers meeting or overtaking it should:
Slow to 25 MPH and prepare to stop
Maintain normal speed and prepare to stop only if needed
Stop immediately regardless of distance
Speed up to pass before the bus stops
Answer: Slow to 25 MPH and prepare to stop
Amber lights mean slow to 25 mph and prepare to stop.
