(A) The driver of a vehicle meeting or overtaking from either direction a school bus stopped on a highway or private road must stop before reaching the bus where there are in operation on the bus flashing red lights specified in State Department of Education Regulations and Specifications Pertaining to School Buses, and the driver must not proceed until the bus resumes motion or the flashing red lights are no longer actuated.

(B) The driver of a vehicle need not stop upon meeting a stopped school bus when traveling in the opposite direction on a multi-lane highway or multi-lane private road.

(C) The driver of a vehicle must not overtake a school bus which has amber visual signals actuated.

(D)(1) A school bus must be equipped with red and amber visual signals meeting the requirements of State Department of Education Regulations and Specifications Pertaining to School Buses, which must be actuated by the driver whenever the bus is stopped or preparing to stop on the highway for the purpose of receiving or discharging school children. A driver must not actuate the special visual signals when the bus is in designated school bus loading or off-loading areas if the bus is off the roadway entirely.

(2) A school bus may be equipped with a digital video recording device mounted on the school bus with a clear view of vehicles passing the bus on either side and showing the date and time the recording was made and an electronic symbol showing the activation of amber lights, flashing red lights, stop arms, and brakes. Digital video recording devices mounted on school buses must be procured in compliance with Chapter 11, Title 35 or a procurement code adopted by the political subdivision procuring the digital video recording device in compliance with Section 11-35-5320.

(E) A school bus must bear upon its front and rear plainly visible signs containing the words "SCHOOL BUS" in black letters not less than eight inches in height.

(F) A school bus route that requires passengers to be loaded or off-loaded along a multi-lane highway or multi-lane private road must be designed to ensure that a student is not required to cross a multi-lane highway or multi-lane private road.

(G) For the purposes of this section a multi-lane highway or multi-lane private road is a highway or private road that consists of four or more traffic lanes, having at least two traffic lanes traveling in each direction.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 46-477; 1952 Code Section 46-477; 1949 (46) 466; 1950 (46) 2379; 1978 Act No. 422 Section 2; 2003 Act No. 62, Section 1; 2014 Act No. 274 (H.5014), Section 2, eff June 9, 2014.