Stopping For School Buses

[Dizzy1]

I found this an interesting read ...

http://www.castanet.net/news/Achieving- ... l-bus-STOP

... mainly because I just read this the other day ...

http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ts-sr/bus-aut ... ss-eng.htm

Its very interesting to see the massive differences in fines given from Province to Province for drivers who fail to stop for a school bus.

Not surprisingly though - BC is second last with a tiny $167 fine while New Brunswick is on the top with a $1000 fine plus loss of license for a first offence.

[GordonH]

Fines for not stopping for school buses, or not slowing down threw school zones (as well construction zones) should all be high.
Set minimum $1,000 and go from their, second offence within a year add $500 + points if they are not already added. 3 strikes within "X" period of time license suspended and car impounded.

People tend to learn a little faster when their wallet is emptied and property is taken away.

[oneh2obabe]

Ontario: Failing to stop for a school bus carries a $400 to $2,000 fine and six demerit points for a first offence. Subsequent offences carry a fine of $1,000 to $4,000, six demerit points and possible jail time.

http://www.northernlife.ca/news/policea ... dbury.aspx

[GordonH]

Ontario: Failing to stop for a school bus carries a $400 to $2,000 fine and six demerit points for a first offence. Subsequent offences carry a fine of $1,000 to $4,000, six demerit points and possible jail time.

http://www.northernlife.ca/news/policea ... dbury.aspx

Raise that $400 up to $1,000 and that is what BC should be doing. Nail drivers in the pockets, then maybe they will learn, oh no jail time (unless they hit someone then jail time for sure) convert that to community service i.e a crossing guard sound good.

[whatwhat]

Fines only work if the police are out. I work down Richter, and have to drive through the school zone every day. And everyday I see at least one person speeding through the school zone. I have seen maybe a cop at the school twice.

[Bsuds]

There should be speed bumps in every school zone. Some of the parents are the worst for speeding in them.
There is definitely a need for more enforcement so how about speed cameras in School and work zones.

[gman313]

There should be speed bumps in every school zone. Some of the parents are the worst for speeding in them.
There is definitely a need for more enforcement so how about speed cameras in School and work zones.

We are discussing stopping for busses - not the speed of other drivers in school zones.

off topic

[Bsuds]

The ones who speed are also most likely the ones who will pass a Bus. Same idiot mindset.

[LTD]

no don't punish everybody else just the dumb ones speed bumps in every school zone would be a pain in the *bleep*

[bazinga42]

Everytime I see an article or announcement regarding school buses, I wonder why in the world they don't explicitly state the law to make it absolutely clear to those that obviously don't know better. Just last month there was an announcement from the local RCMP stating how many times people do "it" and how "it" is dangerous... yet they never, not ONCE, explicitly stated what "it" was! I believe there are a lot of people that just don't realize they have to stop when coming toward a bus with flashing lights while on the opposite side of the road. That is the law, but when it seemingly is NEVER (or rarely) actually stated in a clear manner whenever "it" is reported... its no wonder it perpetuates.

While some things seem obvious, if it is a problem in society then stop assuming it is obvious to everyone. There's certainly no harm in being clear.

[lesliepaul]

AND.......on a DIVIDED (I hope I do not have to explain what divided is) road with the school bus stopped in the opposite direction of your travel YOU DO NOT HAVE TO STOP.

[bazinga42]

Well yeah... you really should explain what divided is. Again, why leave it ambiguous? Divided by a 50m greenbelt? Divided by concrete barriers? Divided by a concrete median? A painted median? Just a painted double solid center line? Single? Any? That room for interpretation is what causes confusion.

The reader can't know if you yourself are confused. You say you hope you don't have to define the term... but CAN you?

Without looking it up... I suspect divided means a physical barrier is in place. But then, we were taught to treat painted meridians as though the were raised concrete. I wouldn't be surprised if a solid (no pass) line qualifies as "divided", but if that were correct then I would question your statement entirely.

So please... do clarify and cite, if possible.

[dirtybiker]

While some things seem obvious, if it is a problem in society then stop assuming it is obvious to everyone. There's certainly no harm in being clear.

If a licencing exam is passed..it is already crystal clear!!!

If it isn't, the licence never should have been issued in the first place.

Common sense aside, (I know, uncommon) the law has only been on the books for........ever......

[GordonH]

Any 2 lane highway alternating traffic (one going 1 way the other side going the other way). All traffic (both direction) must stop when Flashing lights at top of the school bus are on Does matter what the painted lines are on the highway both direction must STOP Is that clear enough, if not I believe in up coming school season buses will be equipped with camera's to catch idiots who pass buses with there flashing lights on.
(read my post earlier on the amount of a fine those idiots should get)

4 lane highways only the traffic in both lanes coming up behind the bus must stop when flashing red lights are on.

Added: Private Schools bus drivers are very poorly trained if at all. I've seen many of them never turn on the flashing lights when dropping off elementary students.
If I was one of those students parents I'd be giving school sh*t.

[bazinga42]

If a licencing exam is passed..it is already crystal clear!!!

Obviously not, or it would't keep happening. I think only a small percentage are people that are deliberately breaking the law. The majority, according to the few news reports that bother to provide any details, are those ignorant of the law. My point was that the media doesn't help by never actually stating clearly what the law is. I have *never* ever witnessed a school bus being passed from behind (of course it happens), so I'm sure the vast majority are those "passing" from the oncoming direction. That is why it is obvious that it isn't widely enough known that they are supposed to stop. If it were, it wouldn't be happening.

It is counter-intuitive as a driver. There's no other situation that I can immediately think of where you stop for something that's occurring in the other lane.

Of course I passed my exam, and I was always fairly sure of the law (turns out I was correct), but I seriously questioned it once when the car two in front of me stopped, as he should, and I stopped... then the guy behind us honked. That pressured the lead car to go. The next guy followed suit. I was stuck there wondering what the hell I was supposed to do. Was I wrong? Was I currently holding up traffic for no reason? At the time, I was relieved because the bus' signals ended, making the decision moot. The point is - for that moment I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do. And I passed my exam.

As well, some people's exams pre-date the current situation/law. Do you really think busses in the 50's had flashing stop signs that extended into traffic? Even if they did... are people expected to have perfect memories? When we started seeing more and more traffic circles, I had to look up signaling rules because that certainly wasn't covered in my written or practical exams!

Again, my overall point... there's no harm in being clear and that's the police's and media's fault for continually reporting the problem without explaining the solution.