Flashing School Zone, Crossing Guard, and a Stopped School Bus
At 7:40 a.m. you are southbound on a four-lane undivided arterial in Las Cruces with a center two-way left-turn lane. Posted speed is 35 mph. You approach an elementary school. Yellow beacons on the SCHOOL ZONE 20 MPH WHEN FLASHING sign are flashing. A pentagon-shaped SCHOOL CROSSING sign is mounted nearby. A crossing guard in a fluorescent vest stands in the crosswalk holding a STOP paddle. Ahead of you in the right lane, a school bus is stopped with its red lights flashing and stop arm extended; children are stepping off. You are in the left lane, 150 feet from the crosswalk, with a car close behind. The crossing guard begins to lower the paddle as the last child reaches the curb.
1. What speed applies now, and does it change when the beacons stop flashing?
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The SCHOOL ZONE 20 MPH WHEN FLASHING sign makes 20 mph the applicable regulatory speed while the yellow beacons are flashing. You should already be slowing as you approach the zone, not waiting until you reach the sign. When the beacons stop flashing, the special school-zone limit no longer applies and the normal posted 35 mph resumes, but that does not mean you should accelerate immediately through a crosswalk or past a stopped bus. Children may still be nearby, and the crossing guard and bus lights are separate controls that may require you to remain stopped or proceed slowly.
2. Must you stop for the school bus in the right lane? Why?
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Yes. The bus is ahead of you in the same direction, with red lights flashing and the stop arm extended. That means children are getting on or off, and they may cross in front of the bus or move into your lane. Being in the left lane does not excuse you from stopping; the children are not required to stay in the right lane. Remain stopped until the red lights stop flashing and the stop arm is retracted, then proceed cautiously while watching for children who may still be near the roadway.
3. How should you respond to the crossing guard lowering the paddle?
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Lowering the paddle is not the same as giving you a go signal, especially when the last child has only just reached the curb. The guard may still be in the crosswalk, another child may lag behind, or the guard may need to step back into your path. Keep your foot on the brake and wait until the guard has cleared the roadway and any pedestrians are safely out of your lane. You must also account for the stopped school bus ahead. Proceed only when both the crossing guard and the bus signal allow it, and do so slowly enough to stop again if a child appears.