With school starting soon for many Missouri districts, thousands of schoolchildren will be waiting along the road for their buses.
That means drivers need to be aware of when to stop for school buses when they see those yellow and red lights on the road. The rules may seem straightforward, but they do vary depending on the direction you are traveling and the number of lanes a road has.
In 2024, there were 843 traffic crashes in the state involving school buses, leading to seven deaths and 345 injuries, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Here's some information to keep in mind the next time you find yourself sharing the road with a school bus.
What to know about Missouri school bus laws for drivers
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol:
Flashing yellow lights mean the bus will soon stop to load/unload children, and will occur 500 feet before it comes to a stop. Upon seeing the flashing yellow lights, drivers on two-lane roads should slow down and prepare to stop regardless of the direction they're headed.
Red flashing lights, along with extended stop arms, mean the bus has stopped and children are getting on/off. Drivers on two-lane roads, regardless of direction, must stop and wait until the lights stop flashing, the extended stop arm is withdrawn and the bus begins moving again before they can start driving again.
On four-lane roads, only vehicles going in the same direction as the school bus are required to stop. Vehicles going in the opposite direction don't have to stop but should still exercise caution in the event children run across the road.
On a divided highway with a median, only vehicles going in the same direction as the school bus must stop. Vehicles traveling in the opposite direction aren't required to stop.
If there are more than four lanes or four with a median, and no children are crossing the road to the opposite side, only vehciles behind the school bus are required to stop.
What are the penalties for failing to stop for a bus?
According to Missouri law, illegally passing a school bus is considered a class A misdemeanor, which is punishable by up to one year in jail and/or a fine up to $2,000. It can also result in a 90-day driver's license suspension for the first offense or a minimum 120-day suspension for the second and subsequent offenses.
If a child is injured as a result of illegally passing a school bus, then the offense is upgraded to a class D felony, which is punishable by up to seven years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
If a child is killed as a result of illegally passing a school bus, then the offense is upgraded to a class C felony, which is punishable by 3 to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: When do Missouri drivers have to stop for school buses? What law says
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