Louisiana Traffic Laws: Penalties for Passing a Stopped School Bus

With local schools back in session across the Ark-La-Tex, there is no better time to brush up on our state's school bus stop laws. As our roads fill up with morning commutes and afternoon drop-offs, driver awareness is critical.

While the Haughton Police Department recently took to social media to remind drivers about these vital rules, make no mistake, law enforcement agencies across the entire region are actively watching. Keeping our community's children safe requires every driver on the road to stay alert, slow down, and follow the law.

Do you know the legal minimum stopping distance when a bus activates its visual signals?

According to Louisiana law, drivers approaching a stopped school bus that is actively loading or unloading students must stop at least 30 feet away. You must remain completely stopped until the bus resumes motion or turns off its flashing lights. Traffic traveling in both directions must stop unless the road is physically divided by a raised barrier or median strip. Simply having a center two-way left-turn lane does not count as a divided highway, both sides of traffic must come to a full stop.

The penalties for failing to stop are severe. A violation that does not result in injury carries a fine of up to $500, up to six months in jail, and a mandatory driver’s license suspension (30 days for a first conviction, 60 days for a second, and a full year for a third).

Thirty feet is the legal minimum, not three feet, not ten feet, and never riding right on the bus's bumper. Our kids' safety is far more important than saving two minutes on your commute. Pay attention, give school buses plenty of room, and let's keep our Ark-La-Tex students safe this school year.