Summer is in full swing, but soon enough those big yellow buses will be cruising around town in the morning and afternoon hauling kids to and from school. It may not be ideal to find yourself behind a school bus, especially if you’re already running late for work, but be very careful if you decide to pass a bus. Aside from the fact that it could be dangerous if kids are nearby, you may have to pay a huge fine if the bus driver turns on the stop lights.
That’s because Minnesota is increasing the fine for drivers who fail to stop for a school bus with its lights activated and the crossing arm fully extended. Under the new law, which goes into effect on August 1, drivers who fail to stop for school buses with the lights activated and cross arm extended will face a $500 fine. That’s a $200 increase from the previous fine.
Why The Increase?
The biggest reason for the increase in the base fine amount is because it is such a dangerous action that occurs on far too frequent a basis. Minnesota police issued nearly 9,000 stop arm violations in 2016 alone, and that’s just a fraction of the drivers who speed by stopped buses. Last year during the annual School Bus Stop Arm Survey, in which drivers are asked to count how many vehicles commit stop arm violations, a total of 3,659 bus drivers reported more than 700 stop arm violations in one day alone. If you multiple that over 180 school days, that’s roughly 126,000 stop arm violations every year. And all it takes is one violation to turn into a fatal accident.
“Too often motorists ignore the school bus laws or are too distracted that they don’t see the bus picking up or dropping off children until it’s too late,” said Col. Matt Langer, chief of the Minnesota State Patrol. “When motorists violate the law, it puts the lives of children at risk. Drivers should always be looking out for school buses and expect those buses to make frequent stops during the morning and afternoon school hours. Pay attention and stop for buses to help keep our children safe.”
Under Minnesota law, drivers are required to stop a minimum of 20 feet from a school bus that is displaying its red flashing lights or its stop arm. This is true whether you’re on a two lane road or a road with multiple lanes in the same direction, and it’s also true if you’re heading in the opposite direction of the bus. You do not need to stop for a bus heading in the opposite direction on a divided road, however.
So if you are ticketed for failing to stop for a school bus, reach out to Avery Appelman and his skilled legal team today. He can help contest the ticket, get the fine reduced or eliminated, and help you hold on to your license. For more information on how he can help, reach out to his office today at (952) 227-2277.
