With the new school year beginning next week in the Catawba Valley/Unifour it’s important to be extra vigilant as school buses take to the road to transport students to and from their homes and schools.
Generally school buses are on the road as early as 6:00am and as late as 5:00pm. School activity buses are often on the roads throughout the day and into the evening hours, carrying students to special events, field trips, and sports activities.
In North Carolina, failing to stop for a stopped school bus is a serious offense with significant penalties. It’s a Class 1 misdemeanor with a mandatory minimum fine of $500, as well as 5 points added to your drivers licenses, and 4 points added to your insurance.
It’s important to remember that yellow flashing lights indicate a school bus is preparing to stop to load or unload students. Red flashing lights along with an extended stop-arm means that drivers must stop and wait until the red lights stop flashing, the extended stop-arm is withdrawn, and the bus begins moving before vehicles can start moving again.