LANCASTER – School will be reopening this week for some area students. Motorists are reminded to give themselves extra time regarding the morning commute as school buses will be back on the roadways picking up and dropping off students. PA law requires motorists to stop at least 10 feet away from school buses when their red lights are flashing and their stop arm is activated. This applies to motorists when they are behind or traveling alongside a school bus, as well as when meeting the bus or approaching an intersection where a bus has stopped. In PA, passing a stopped school bus with activated red lights and an extended stop arm is a violation unless the lane they are in is physically divided with a barrier. If pulled over by a police officer, it carries a $250 fine, a $35 surcharge, five points on your driving record, and a mandatory 60-day driver’s license suspension. School bus drivers may also report this violation to the police which often leads to the filing of a citation against the offender.
