Stopped School Bus with Red Lights on a Rural Two-Lane Road
Marc is riding west on a two-lane rural road at 80 km/h. A school bus ahead in his lane slows and stops with its red lights flashing. Marc sees no children yet, but a cyclist is coming east in the oncoming lane. The road has a solid yellow line on Marc's side and a No Passing sign 30 metres before the bus. Marc's lane is clear ahead of the bus, and he is late for work. He considers passing the stopped bus by crossing the yellow line, because the cyclist is still 50 metres away. The bus driver has not opened the door. Marc's visor is fogging slightly in the cold morning air.
1. Must Marc stop for this school bus? Explain the legal requirement.
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Marc must stop. In Saskatchewan, when a school bus has its red lights flashing on an undivided two-lane road, traffic in both directions must stop and remain stopped until the red lights stop flashing and the bus begins to move. The fact that he sees no children yet does not matter; children may be crossing or about to cross. The solid yellow line and No Passing sign reinforce that passing is prohibited here, but the school-bus red lights alone require the stop. He should stop well back from the bus to leave a safety buffer and keep scanning around and under the bus.
2. Can Marc legally pass because the oncoming cyclist is still 50 metres away?
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The cyclist being 50 metres away does not make passing legal. The legal duty is to stop for the bus, not to judge whether a gap is big enough. Even after the red lights stop, Marc would need to ensure the bus has started moving and that no children remain, then check the oncoming cyclist before proceeding. Crossing a solid yellow line is separately prohibited, and the No Passing sign gives advance warning of poor sight distance or a hazard. His lateness for work is not a legal justification. The safe and lawful choice is to wait.
3. What hazards and scans should Marc prioritize once stopped?
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He should clear his visor before moving, because fogging reduces his ability to see children at the roadside. He should scan the bus's front and rear, the door, the sidewalk or shoulder, and the oncoming cyclist. He should also watch for children who may run out from in front of the bus, and for the bus driver's signals. He should stop far enough back to have an escape path and avoid sitting in the oncoming lane. Once the red lights stop, he should proceed slowly and recheck both directions before accelerating.