Be aware of buses as new school year arrives
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By Jeff Snyder
MOUNT AYR, Iowa — As area students prepare to return to school, drivers across Ringgold County are being reminded of the laws designed to keep children safe when they board and leave school buses.
While there is no major statewide change to the basic school-bus stopping requirements in the current Iowa Department of Transportation guidance, The Ringgold County Sheriff’s Department is urging motorists to know the rules before school buses return to local roads.
When a school bus is stopped with its warning lights flashing and stop arm extended, drivers approaching from behind must stop at least 15 feet from the bus. They must remain stopped until the stop arm is retracted and the bus begins moving again.
On two- and three-lane roads, drivers traveling toward the bus from the opposite direction must also stop. Although Ringgold County does not have any four lane roads it is important to still know the rules if traveling somewhere else. On roads with four or more lanes, however, drivers approaching the bus from the opposite direction generally do not have to stop, provided they are traveling in the opposing lanes.
Drivers should also pay attention to the bus’s amber warning lights. Iowa DOT guidance says motorists should slow down and prepare to stop when those lights begin flashing. Once the red lights are flashing and the stop arm is extended, passing the bus is prohibited. You must also pay attention to speed signs when entering a school zone as these areas have the highest concentration of student foot traffic and the highest likelihood of a pedestrian encounter.
Violating Iowa’s school-bus stopping law can have serious consequences, including the possibility of a driver’s license suspension of up to 180 days.
With hundreds of area youth traveling to school by bus, officials say the safest approach is simple: slow down, pay attention and stop when required. A few extra seconds could prevent a tragedy.
