Question: “If you’re on a street with four lanes and a school bus coming the other way stops and puts out its sign, do I have to stop? I always do, but I’ve had people honk and shoot past me.” -- Anne, Tacoma
Answer: It’s good to be cautious around school buses, but in this case, you’re going further than the law requires.
Here’s what RCW 46.61.370 says: “The driver of a vehicle upon a highway with three or more marked traffic lanes need not stop upon meeting a school bus which is proceeding in the opposite direction and is stopped for the purpose of receiving or discharging school children.”
The law also exempts drivers from stopping for a school bus if they are in the opposite direction on a “highway divided into separate roadways” by a median or physical barrier.
Rob Carson: 253-597-8693
rob.carson@thenewstribune.com
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