As the new school year begins it is vital that everyone know and follow the Maryland School bus law. The danger to school bus-riding students remains a great concern. Far too many drivers have received citations. Last school year from Sept. to mid-August, 34,778 citations were issued. This means that more than 34,000 times a driver put our children at risk by disobeying the law.
The law is clear, in Maryland, drivers must stop, and remain stopped, for a school bus that is stopped with red lights flashing and stop arm activated. A driver may not proceed until the flashing red lights go off and the bus begins to move. The only time a driver doesn’t have to stop is if the vehicle is traveling in the opposite direction of the bus and there is a physical median/barrier separating the lanes of traffic.
These numerous camera citations confirm a lack of compliance to the law and it is only a matter of time before a child is seriously injured or killed. Make sure you know, understand and obey the school bus law. Let’s work together to decrease these violations this school year.
Learn more about school bus safety here. Please share the Understanding the School Bus Law information flyer with friends and family. Let’s do all we can to keep our kids safe.
