Helpful information for all drivers from the Irving Police Department.
With students returning to school from summer break today, we’ve already seen confusion regarding when you are required to stop for school buses.
The law in Texas is that if you’re behind a school bus that stops to let a student on or off the bus, you also must stop and stay behind the bus. Likewise, if you’re on a street or highway and are headed the opposite direction as the bus, you must stop.
But if you’re traveling the opposite direction as the bus, and the street or highway you’re on has some type of physical barrier (median) to divide the two sides of the road, you do not have to stop
Below is the state law regarding passing school buses.
Texas Transportation Code Sec. 545.066. PASSING A SCHOOL BUS; OFFENSE.
(a) An operator on a highway, when approaching from either direction a school bus stopped on the highway to receive or discharge a student:
(1) shall stop before reaching the school bus when the bus is operating a visual signal as required by Section 547.701; and
(2) may not proceed until:
(A) the school bus resumes motion;
(B) the operator is signaled by the bus driver to proceed; or
(C) the visual signal is no longer actuated.
(b) An operator on a highway having separate roadways is not required to stop:
(1) for a school bus that is on a different roadway; or
(2) if on a controlled-access highway, for a school bus that is stopped:
(A) in a loading zone that is a part of or adjacent to the highway; and
(B) where pedestrians are not permitted to cross the roadway.
What is the law concerning driving on a street that is perpendicular to the street the school bus is stopped on? I was driving on a South bound street. In our neighborhood. I do not have a stop sign. I passed by a school bus that was on a street to my right behind a stop sign. The red lights were flashing but because it was not on my street. I continued to drive past. The school bus driver laid on the horn for a good 15 seconds at me.. Was I in the wrong according to the texas state law? I have searched and searched and not been able to find anything about this in a neighborhood..