Minnesota School Bus

[onemoment]

I have always seen MN School Buses use their blinking red lights with an extended Stop arm. However, this year I have seen several buses stopped and loading students with only their yellow lights blinking and no extended stop sign. This has been on busy business four-lane roads and on small 2-lane neighborhood roads. I am confused.

I have seen cars go past the bus. I have stopped and had cars nearly rear-end me and honk. I stopped at a stop sign and waited while a bus was across the street at a stop sign and a student entered the bus. kept waiting with the school bus' yellow lights blinking until the driver turned on his interor light. I could not see if he was waving to me but when nothing happended and no one else got on the bus, I went ahead and turned left.

What is the deal? Do I stop until the yellow lights stop blinking? Is is ok to pass the bus? Why has this changed? :confused:

[K9 Police]

169.443 Safety of school children; bus driver's duties.

Subdivision 1. Using bus signals. A driver of a
school bus shall activate the prewarning flashing amber signals
of the bus before stopping to load or unload school children.
The driver shall activate and continuously operate the amber
signals for a distance of at least 100 feet before stopping in a
speed zone of 35 miles per hour or less and at least 300 feet
before stopping in a speed zone of more than 35 miles per hour.
On stopping for this purpose, the driver shall extend the
stop-signal arm system and activate the flashing red signals.
The driver shall not retract the stop-signal arm system nor
extinguish the flashing red signals until loading or unloading
is completed, students are seated, and children who must cross
the roadway are safely across.

169.444 Safety of school children; duties of other
drivers.

Subdivision 1. Children getting on or off school bus.
When a school bus is stopped on a street or highway, or other
location where signs have been erected under section 169.443,
subdivision 2, paragraph (b), and is displaying an extended
stop-signal arm and flashing red lights, the driver of a vehicle
approaching the bus shall stop the vehicle at least 20 feet away
from the bus. The vehicle driver shall not allow the vehicle to
move until the school bus stop-signal arm is retracted and the
red lights are no longer flashing.

If you see yellow lights, I would stop. If children are crossing, getting on the bus, or off the bus, definetely stop. Wait until the lights are not flashing. The way it is supposed to work is that yellow is telling you that the bus is slowing down to pick up children. Red should be displayed, with the stop arm, when picking up the child or dropping the child off.

K9

[Hutch]

MN Statutes say that if the stop arm is extended and the red lights are blinking you must stop...

As for the yellow lights they are warning lights that the bus is going to be stopping to pick up soon. No you don't have to stop..

Common sense... You see small childeren around and the bus don't have the reds on... SLOW DOWN.... SLOW way down... Let the other cars honk at you all they want. Those kids are more important than any Sh*thead driver late for work!

I have stopped when I the yellows are on the bus, just cause you don't know if there is any late arivals that might not look to see if the bus driver is waving them across the road.

[ctt]

I have seen bus driver's do this on rural highways where they pull off onto the shoulder to pick up the kids.

[eric_farang_bah]

if i were you i would get the school district and bus number then report. it is better then a careless driver not seeing red decide its ok to go through and hit a kid due to the laziness or rush of a bus driver

[onemoment]

You've confirmed my gut reaction. I will certainly stop and I will also take down the school bus # and call. Thanks again. :)

[eric_farang_bah]

You've confirmed my gut reaction. I will certainly stop and I will also take down the school bus # and call. Thanks again. :)

that may save a kids life :)

[onemoment]

I thought I'd let you all know the response after I contacted the district about this yellow lights flashing situation. Here is my email to them:

I am not sure which school district has jurisdiction. I live in XXX. In the morning (about 6:50am), at the corner XXX I have seen a school bus picking up students with only the yellow lights flashing. This intersection is poorly lit. I am amazed that the driver only has the yellow lights flashing. There are no red lights or the stop sign extended. The students have been crossing the street to get on the bus with only the yellow lights flashing. I have stopped to wait for the students while other cars drive around me. If I do not need to stop, please let me know. However, I asked a policeman about this as I was concerned. He advised me to continue to stop and alert the school district.

Here is the response. It came about 10 minutes after my email:

Thank you for sharing your concern. I will forward your message to the XXX Lines bus company and its director, XXX and XXX, the district

[onemoment]

I received this from the Transporation Director:

I just had the opportunity to speak with my driver regarding the pick-up location in XXX. This location happens to be the first pick-up in the morning for route XX, bus XX. The driver has been getting to the stop location with a variation of 2 to 3 minutes and pulls over to the side of the road with his 4-way hazards flashing (the lights equipped on the bus similar to your automobile) waiting for the appropriate time to start his route. Traffic is not required to stop for a school bus with just these 4-way hazards flashing. The students, rather than congregating at the bus stop on the corner, walk directly to the bus and get on as they get to the stop. I spoke with the driver regarding the confusion this is causing the motorists in the area and the potential dangerous situation it may cause for the students. Effective immediately, I'm requiring him to treat this stop like every other stop on his route by arriving at the stop the same time every day and utilizing the 8-way school bus safety system on the bus. If he arrives in the area early he will utilize a side street a block or more away from the stop and then proceed to his first stop at the appropriate time.

I plan to use this example at an upcoming safety meeting to emphasis the need for consistency and safety at all the school bus stops in the XXX School District. Please don't hesitate to notify us in the future if you observe unusual or potentially dangerous activity.

~~~~~~~~
Thanks again.

[eric_farang_bah]

great news

[K9 Police]

Good job, sounds like you cleared a potential tragedy. I agree with the Director's assessment of having the bus wait somewhere else and then use the red lights to have the children enter the job.

We need more people like you out there....

K9