School Bus Stop on an Undivided Street During a Flashing School Zone
At 7:45 a.m. on a Wednesday, you are driving east on a two-lane undivided DC residential street. The posted speed limit is 25 mph, and a yellow school-zone sign with a flashing beacon shows '15 MPH WHEN FLASHING.' The beacon is flashing. Ahead on the opposite side of the road, a school bus has stopped with its red lights flashing and stop arm extended. Several children are standing near the curb, and one child is still on the bus steps. A car behind you is following closely. You are late for work, and the street has no median, no painted center turn lane, and no barrier. You must decide whether to stop, how long to wait, and what to do about the tailgater.
1. Must you stop for the school bus? Explain using the road configuration and signals.
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Yes. The street is a two-lane undivided road with no median, center turn lane, or barrier, and the bus has its red lights flashing and stop arm extended. In that configuration, traffic approaching from the opposite direction must stop as well as traffic behind the bus. The flashing 15 mph school-zone beacon independently requires you to slow to 15 mph while it is flashing. Stop before reaching the bus and do not pass while the red lights are on. Wait until the stop arm is retracted, the red lights stop flashing, and the children are clear of the roadway before moving.
2. The driver behind you is tailgating and the child takes several seconds to board. How should you manage the stop?
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Stop smoothly and early so the tailgater has time to react, and leave extra space ahead of you. Once stopped, stay stopped; the tailgater's impatience does not excuse passing a school bus with red lights. Keep your brake lights on and avoid waving the driver around, because that could invite a dangerous pass. If the rear driver is extremely close, you can flash your brake lights as a warning, but do not move into the oncoming lane or run the stop. After the bus signals end, proceed slowly and recheck for children.
3. Once the bus's red lights stop flashing and the stop arm folds, but the school-zone beacon is still flashing, what speed may you travel?
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You may proceed past the bus only after the red lights are off, the stop arm is folded, and the children are clear. The end of the bus's red-light sequence does not end the school-zone limit. While the '15 MPH WHEN FLASHING' beacon is still flashing, 15 mph is the maximum. Stay alert for children who may still be near the curb or crossing unexpectedly, and do not accelerate back to 25 until you have passed the school zone or the beacon stops flashing.