(NMB) With the start of a new school year, the Montana Highway Patrol (MHP) is reminding Montanans to be mindful of school bus laws to help ensure Montana students get to and from school safely.
From 2023-2024, there were a total of 144 school bus violations, 80 citations, and 29 warnings issued to those who failed to obey school bus traffic laws in Montana
Keep these traffic laws in mind when approaching a school bus:
Prepare to slow down when you see the amber/yellow flashing lights. Stop 30 feet from a stopped school bus when it is flashing red lights.
When a school bus is stopped at a four-way intersection, vehicles can’t turn left, turn right, or pass the school bus.
When the stop arm is out on a school bus on a non-divided highway or two-lane road, traffic traveling all directions must stop within 30 feet of the bus.
Reckless driving penalties for drivers who pass, in either direction, a stopped school bus that is displaying the visual flashing red signal is a $285 fine for a first offense and a $785 for a second offense.
