Motorists Asked to be Bus Aware As Students Return to Class

School starts Friday in Franklin County and is already underway in Hart County.

That means school buses will be on the roads in the early morning and in the afternoon.

Motorists are asked to be Bus Aware and use extra caution because children will back out waiting for the bus in the morning and getting off the school bus in the afternoon.

So we want to remind motorists about the school bus laws in Georgia.

Georgia law requires motorists behind a school bus and coming from the opposite direction on a two-lane road to stop to allow children to cross the road.

On two-lane roadways with a center turning lane, all traffic from both directions must also stop when the school bus stops to pick up or let students off.

Also, the same applies to a four-lane roadway without a median separation – all traffic from both directions must stop when the school bus stops.

The same applies to a four-lane road with a center turning lane – vehicles in both directions must stop.

However, on a divided, four-lane highway with a median, only motorists behind the school bus must stop when the bus stops.

Passing a school bus carries a fine of at least $300 for a first offense, $750 for a second offense, and $1,000 for a third offense.

Additionally, the unlawful passing of a school bus will result in 6 points being added to the driver’s license.

For a person under 21 years old, accumulating 4 or more points on their license will result in their license being suspended for 6 months.

A driver over 21 years of age will have their license suspended if they accumulate 15 points in a 24 month period.

School bus drivers have one of the most important jobs on the road and work long hours to keep your children safe.

So remember to obey the traffic laws regarding school busses and do your part to keep children safe by obeying the laws regarding school buses.