School buses on US roads have more priority than ambulances or police, and therefore local drivers are afraid of the former like fire. A Russian traveler who went to America learned about this amazing fact and told on the pages of his blog on Yandex.Zen.
“The school bus has many priorities, in some cases even more than the ambulance or the police. You can even safely say that they are something like a sacred cow in America. And God forbid the driver violates the rules associated with school buses: overtaking him when it is impossible, not stopping when he orders everyone to stop, or exceeding the speed limit. “Draconian” fine, deprivation or even imprisonment are guaranteed! — assured the author.
Buses carrying children have the exclusive right to “order all other drivers to stop.” “At the moment when it stops to unload or load children, special red lights start flashing behind and in front of the bus, and the STOP sign folds down on the driver’s side (when driving, it is pressed against the side of the bus and does not light up). If this happens, all drivers must stop. And not only those that go behind the bus, but also in the oncoming traffic,” added the compatriot.
Overtaking this vehicle when the red roof lights are on and the STOP sign is folded down is prohibited in all US states. And if the motorist ignores the rule of traffic rules, then the bus driver has the right to contact the police and report it. The violator will face a fine, the amount of which is determined by the state authorities. So, in Alaska, it is $3,000, 90 days in prison, plus 6 demerit points in addition to the “driver's karma”.
Movement is allowed only after the school bus driver turns off special signals and removes the STOP sign. “Until this happens, everyone should patiently stand and wait! Even if schoolchildren are loaded for a long time or it seems that there is no one near the bus, and the driver is waiting for someone who is late, the tourist explained. – As a general rule, oncoming traffic does not need to stop only on multi-lane highways where there are more than 2 lanes in each direction and a physical barrier/guardrail in the middle. But in some states it is mandatory to stop even on such roads, although the bus stopped on the opposite side of it. This is to ensure that minors can safely cross the road. Practiced in New York, Mississippi, California, North Dakota and Pennsylvania.
In addition to the above restrictions, there is also a speed limit for cars that drive near educational institutions – about 15 mph, i.e. by Russian standards, about 24 km/h. “Usually, this restriction does not work all the time, but only when special signals light up above the sign, by analogy with a school bus. But there are also signs without special signals. Permanent or with a time limit when it works, ”concluded the autotourist.
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