What Happens If a Driver Is Caught Passing a Stopped School Bus?

WBTW-TV recently reported on what North Carolina is doing to prevent drivers from passing stopped school buses. Per the report, Governor Roy Cooper signed the Senate Bill 55, also known as the School Bus Cameras and Civil Penalties Bill, into law late last month. Under the new law, drivers can be fined hundreds or even thousands of dollars for passing a stopped school bus.

It was already illegal for drivers to pass stopped school buses even before SB 55 was passed. However, the new law enables school districts and local governments to install  cameras on school buses that can spot drivers who pass stopped buses. The cameras work like red light cameras. When a school bus is stopped and the stop sign is extended, the cameras are activated and any vehicle that passes the bus during that time is recorded. If drivers are caught breaking SB 55, they will be charged with a misdemeanor and face a fine. If drivers hit a person while passing a stopped school bus with its stop sign extended and lights flashing, it is considered a felony.

My Kid Was Hurt in a School Bus Crash. What Should I Do?

When school buses are stopped with their stop signs extended, it’s meant to prevent accidents and protect our kids from harm. Drivers that pass stopped school buses put the lives of children at risk. This is unacceptable. Therefore, any law that helps prevent drivers from doing so should be applauded.

Parents whose kids have been injured or killed in a school bus-related accident, should speak to a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. Depending on who is at fault, school bus crash victims and their families can hold the driver of an automobile or truck, a bus driver or even the school accountable. A school bus accident lawsuit can help families secure the financial help they need for hospital bills, rehabilitation expenses, loss of income (if a parent must quit working full-time to care for an injured child) or funeral costs.