School bus stop law — Tennessee Permit Test

When a school bus is stopped at an intersection to load or unload children, drivers from all directions must stop until the bus moves again.

Children leaving a bus may cross in any direction. A car turning in from the side street can hit them as easily as one from behind.

When a school bus is stopped at an intersection to load and unload children, drivers from ALL directions are required to stop until the bus resumes motion (as shown by the red vehicles in the diagram at right).

Not stopping for a stopped school bus is a Class A misdemeanor with a fine between $250 and $1,000.

A child stepping off a bus is easy to hit. The fine is high because the harm can be terrible.

It is a Class A misdemeanor and the driver can be fined between $250 and $1,000 for not stopping for a stopped school bus.

Flashing yellow lights on the front and back of a school bus mean it is preparing to stop to load or unload children.

The yellow lights give you warning before the red ones. Slowing now means you will not have to slam on the brakes.

When the yellow lights on the front and back of the bus are flashing the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children.

When a school bus has red lights flashing and its stop arm out, you must stay stopped until the stop arm is pulled back and the bus starts moving.

A child who has dropped something may run back across the road. The bus moving again is the sign that all are clear.

The vehicle must remain stopped until the stop arm is pulled back and the bus resumes motion.

The stop law also applies to church buses with red lights flashing and the stop arm extended.

Church buses carry children too, and they step off the same way. The red lights mean the same thing on either bus.

Any driver meeting a school bus or church bus on which the red stop warning signal lights are flashing should reduce his speed and bring the vehicle to a complete stop while the bus stop signal arm is extended.

On a highway divided by a median or barrier that cars cannot cross, drivers on the other side from a stopped school bus need not stop, but should go with caution.

Children do not cross a median to reach a bus. Traffic across it can keep moving, but still watch for kids.

When driving on a highway with separate roadways for traffic in opposite directions, divided by median space or a barrier not suitable for vehicular traffic, the driver need not stop, but should proceed with caution.

A center turn lane on a four-lane highway is not a barrier, so traffic in both directions must stop for a stopped school bus.

Children can walk right across a turn lane. It does not protect them the way a median does.

A turn lane in the middle of a four-lane highway is NOT considered a barrier, but a fifth lane that is suitable for vehicular traffic.

A school bus is stopped at an intersection to load children. Which drivers must stop?

Drivers from all directions. Children leaving a bus may cross in any direction. A car turning in from the side street can hit them as easily as one from behind. Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, p.51: “When a school bus is stopped at an intersection to load and unload children, drivers from ALL directions are required to stop until the bus resumes motion (as shown by the red vehicles in the diagram at right).”