The two amber lights on both the front and the rear of each school bus are Warning Lights used just before the bus comes to a stop to load or unload children. The driver activates the amber lights in rural areas a distance of 500 feet from the stop. In urban areas, amber lights are activated 200 feet from the stop.
What are the 8 way lights on a school bus?
The Eight-Light System
This light system uses amber lights which flash prior to the red lights to warn motorists that the bus will soon stop. Many states have already had this system in place for some time, some as early as the 1970s and 80s.
What are the red lights on a school bus called?
These are called “Hazard light stops” and are allowed in some situations where students will not be crossing the road. Motorists are allowed to pass the bus, but are urged to be alert: Children are unpredictable.
What is the light on top of school buses?
The purpose of equipping buses with roof mount strobe lights is to alert motorists that a school bus is in the vicinity. This may be especially helpful in severe weather conditions, such as rain, fog, smog, and snow, where the vision of approaching motorists is more obscured.
When you see red lights on a school bus?
So when you see that school bus, remember yellow lights mean the bus is going to stop so begin to slow down! Red lights mean students are getting on or off the bus and this means YOU MUST STOP.
When should you use the 8 light warning system?
School Bus Safety – The 8 Light Warning System
I can guarantee that every school district in North America has trouble with traffic passing a stopped school bus when the red lights are flashing. These red lights are the 8 light warning system that starts off with amber lights before the bus comes to a full stop.
What do flashing red lights on a school bus mean?
Red flashing lights and extended stop arms indicate that the bus has stopped, and that children are getting on or off. Motorists must stop their cars and wait until the red lights stop flashing, the extended stop sign is withdrawn, and the bus begins moving before they can start driving again.
Is it OK to pass a school bus?
When a school bus is traveling on a roadway, you’re generally permitted to pass when it’s safe to do so, as it would with passing any other type of vehicle. … When a bus is stopped for boarding, vehicles traveling behind or in oncoming lanes must stop (generally, at least 50 feet away from the bus).
Why do school buses have cameras?
Surveillance cameras pointed outside buses can help identify motorists who illegally pass buses, or identify driver erratic and dangerous driver behavior. Remote monitoring – School buses have relied on surveillance cameras for many years, most commonly using an in-bus CCTV system complete with camera and recorder.
Why is there a white flashing light on top of school buses?
“The lights serve multiple purposes: to draw attention to school buses for general awareness, to be easily spotted in inclement weather (such as fog, rain, or snow),” explained Mechoulan. “And to enhance overall safety of the students onboard, as well as pedestrians and other drivers on the road.”
Why do school busses not have seatbelts?
The simple answer is that they don’t need them. In a cost/benefit analysis, the cost of adding seat belts to school buses outweighs any potential benefits, according to NHTSA studies. Modern school buses are large and heavy, and their passengers sit high off the ground. … School buses are designed to be safe.
What do the three black lines on a school bus mean?
Those black stripes are there to help protect the children in the event of a collision. They are known as “rub rails” and they also stop a car that hits the side of the bus from harming the entire side of the vehicle. This was explained on YouTube by a bus driver that calls himself ClawBoss.
What to do when a school bus is flashing lights?
When school bus lights are flashing
- When you approach a school bus from either direction (from the front or the rear), and it has the alternating amber lights flashing, you must be ready to stop. …
- If you pass a school bus that has its alternating amber lights flashing, pass with caution.
When a school bus has its light flashing and its stop arm extended?
When a school bus is stopped with its red lights flashing and its stop arm extended, you must stop your vehicle at least 20 feet from the bus. Oncoming traffic and motorists approaching the bus from behind may not move until the stop arm is retracted and the red lights are no longer flashing.
What does it mean when a school bus is stopped and it’s red lights are flashing quizlet?
Yes, you have to stop for a stopped school bus that has its red lights flashing whenever you come upon it from behind. It does not matter how many lanes the road has. A flashing red light at an intersection means: Stop and yield the right of way.