§291C-95  Overtaking and passing school bus. (a)  Whenever a school bus is stopped on a highway or road in a residentialarea with its visual signals actuated as described in subsection (g), thedriver of any motor vehicle on the same highway or road in a residential areain the lane occupied by the school bus and all lanes adjacent to the laneoccupied by the school bus, regardless of the direction of traffic in thoselanes, shall stop the driver's vehicle not less than twenty feet from theschool bus and shall not proceed until the school bus resumes motion and thevisual signals are turned off.

(b)  Subsection (a) shall not apply to avehicle when the school bus and the vehicle are on different roadways; exceptthat where a highway or road in a residential area has been divided into two ormore lanes by an intervening space, a physical barrier, or a clearly indicateddividing section, subsection (a) shall apply to all drivers of motor vehiclesin all lanes on the same side as a school bus which is stopped with visualsignals actuated as required under subsection (c).

(c)  The driver of the school bus shall actuatethe visual signals described in subsection (g) only when the school bus isstopped for the purpose of receiving or discharging school children.

(d)  The front and rear of every school busshall be marked with the words "SCHOOL BUS" in plainly visibleletters not less than eight inches in height and strokes not less thanthree-fourths of an inch in width.

(e)  No vehicle, other than a school bus, shalldisplay a "SCHOOL BUS" sign.

(f)  When a school bus is being operated upon ahighway for purposes other than as an incident to the transportation ofchildren, all marking thereon indicating "SCHOOL BUS" shall becovered or concealed.

(g)  The visual signals actuated as requiredunder subsection (c) shall consist of four red signal lamps meeting thefollowing requirements:

(1)  Two lamps shall face forward and two shall facethe rear;

(2)  The two forward lamps shall flash alternately andshall be mounted at the same level, but as high and as widely spaced aspractical;

(3)  The two rear lamps shall flash alternately andshall be mounted at the same level but as high and as widely spaced aspractical; and

(4)  Each of the lamps shall be of sufficientintensity as to be plainly visible at a distance of five hundred feet in normalsunlight and shall be capable of being actuated from the driver's seat by asingle switch.

(h)  Any person who violates this section shallbe fined not more than $500 or sentenced to perform community service, or both.[L 1971, c 150, pt of §1; am L 1975, c 22, §2; am L 1976, c 52, §1; gen ch1985; am L 1987, c 237, §2; am L 1998, c 265, §1]