School buses — Georgia Permit Test

Flashing yellow lights on a school bus mean it is about to stop to load or unload, so drivers coming up to it slow down and get ready to stop.

The yellow lights are the warning; by the time the red ones come on the children are already moving.

When a school bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children, the driver of the bus will activate flashing yellow lights. When these flashing yellow lights are activated, all drivers approaching the school bus should slow down and be prepared to stop.

Once a school bus has its red lights on and its stop arm out, no vehicle may pass it while it is loading or unloading passengers.

Children cross in front of the bus where the driver behind it cannot see them at all.

Once the flashing lights have turned red and the stop signs have extended from the side of the bus, it is unlawful for any vehicle to pass the stopped school bus while it is loading or unloading passengers.

On a highway split by a median, traffic on the far side of the median from a stopped school bus does not have to stop, though the manual still says to watch for children.

The median is what keeps the children on the bus side of the road, and nothing else does.

On a highway divided by a median, cars traveling on the opposite side from the stopped school bus are not required to stop

On a four-lane roadway with no median separation, all traffic from both directions stops when a school bus stops for passengers.

Four lanes with nothing down the middle is still one road, and children cross the whole of it.

Four-lane roadway without a median separation: When school bus stops for passengers, ALL traffic from both directions must stop.

After stopping for a school bus you stay stopped until the bus moves off or switches its warning signals off, and until everybody loading or unloading is clear of the road.

A child who drops something goes back for it, and the lights are still on while they do.

After stopping, you must remain stopped until the bus resumes motion or deactivates its warning signals AND all loading or unloading passengers have cleared the roadway.

A school bus ahead of you switches on flashing yellow lights. What do they mean?

It is about to stop for children. The yellow lights are the warning; by the time the red ones come on the children are already moving. Georgia Driver's Manual, p.45: “When a school bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children, the driver of the bus will activate flashing yellow lights. When these flashing yellow lights are activated, all drivers approaching the school bus should slow down and be prepared to stop.”