School Bus Safety
With schools starting back, please remember the following Rules of the Road:
Bus Safety
Passing on a two-lane, two-way roadway is not allowed when a school bus has stopped to load or discharge passengers.
School Buses
The only time a vehicle is not required to stop for a school bus is when both vehicles are on a four-lane roadway and the bus is stopped in the opposite direction from which a driver is traveling.
Any other time, a driver must stop before meeting or overtaking (passing) a school bus that is stopped and loading or unloading passengers. This includes:
- Any two-lane roadway, in rural areas and within city limits.
- Any roadway, highway or private road.
- Any parking lot located on school property.
A warning will be given by the school bus at least 100 feet (200 feet in rural areas) in advance of a stop. The bus driver will flash lights on the front and rear of the bus. The school bus stop signal arm will be extended after the school bus has come to a complete stop. A driver approaching a school bus from the opposite direction must come to a complete stop and remain stopped until the stop signal arm is no longer extended and the flashing lights are turned off or the school bus driver signals vehicles to pass.
A conviction for passing a stopped school bus with flashing lights and the stop arm extended will result in the suspension of an individual’s driver’s license. If the owner(s) of the vehicle were not driving when the offense occurred, they must provide the State’s Attorney’s Office with the name of the person driving the vehicle or their vehicle registration will be suspended for three months.
Speed Limits
Speeding is one of the leading contributors to vehicle crashes, deaths and serious injuries on roadways. Individuals may drive at the maximum allowable speed only under safe conditions. For safety purposes, a minimum speed limit may be posted along certain roadways. When minimum limits are not posted, a driver should not drive so slow as to create an interference with the normal movement of traffic.
The following speed limits apply, unless otherwise posted to school zones — 20 mph (on school days between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. when children are present and signs are posted).
School Zones
When approaching a marked school zone between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., on days when school is in operation and children are present, a driver must discontinue wireless/cellphone use (unless using a hands-free device that may include the use of a single-sided headset), reduce speed to 20 mph, and stop and yield the right of way to any children or adults in the crosswalk area.
For more information, please refer to Illinois Rules of the Road 2021.
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