Failure to Stop for Bus Opposite Direction 5 Lanes over

[BaxterGirl]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Georgia (GA)

I received ticket for Failure to Stop for Schoolbus Loading going opposite direction 5 lanes away (6 lane roadway) in dim light at dawn. Said fee is $494.00! Court is tomorrow morning. I am a law-abiding good citizen mom who was taking my high school age sons to early study session and was not familiar with bus patterns on this road 30 min from home, since I never drive in the mornings, as they usually ride a schoolbus.

I would never NOT stop for a schoolbus usually seen on small local streets but was not surveying the lane near the curb 5 lanes over to my left for a bus going opposite way. How should I handle? I was told to plead 'no-lo'. (This truly seems like "highway robbery".)

 

[sandyclaus]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Georgia (GA)

I received ticket for Failure to Stop for Schoolbus Loading going opposite direction 5 lanes away (6 lane roadway) in dim light at dawn. Said fee is $494.00! Court is tomorrow morning. I am a law-abiding good citizen mom who was taking my high school age sons to early study session and was not familiar with bus patterns on this road 30 min from home, since I never drive in the mornings, as they usually ride a schoolbus.

I would never NOT stop for a schoolbus usually seen on small local streets but was not surveying the lane near the curb 5 lanes over to my left for a bus going opposite way. How should I handle? I was told to plead 'no-lo'. (This truly seems like "highway robbery".)

Not being familiar with the bus patterns, you say? You SAW the school bus across the road, right? Were the red lights flashing? Then you should have stopped. You got the ticket because you failed to do so.

There is a reason why this law exists. When a school bus is there loading passengers, kids tend to run in and run out with very little regard to the traffic. The law was enacted to protect them from people like you who seem to think that the road belongs to you.

Better to pay the price and learn the lesson than end up paying a more hefty price that one time you don't notice the kid running to catch his school bus next time.

 

[BaxterGirl]

No, of course I WOULD have stopped if I'd seen the bus on the far side of 6 lanes, but I DID NOT ever see it, even after stopped by the officer, as it had apparently moved on and I was along right curb while it would have been along left curb, 6 LANES total, in busy traffic. The officer just told me it had been there. I was looking ahead for my boys' school and didn't look over to left of the big road. Yes, the bus lights are meant to be noticed. They were not apparent in my vision field as I looked AHEAD for the school I was taking my high schoolers to for a 7AM test review session. (OF COURSE I SHOULD HAVE stopped. Truth is no kids, even adults, would be 'running out' onto that busily trafficked 6 LANE road. No way one could CROSS that road! And no, that doesn't matter, as one should ALWAYS ALWAYS stop for schoolbuses. I ALWAYS do. Just didn't notice it so far to my left on the busy 6-lane road.)

What about no-lo? Is that the best plea for this case? Any other advice, other than I should have stopped? I knew that I SHOULD have. I stop for buses. I obey laws. Circumstances restricted my seeing it.

 

[FlyingRon]

Unless you are on a divided highway or some other road where pedestrians are barred from crossing you need to stop.

You can plead Nolo Contendre, if you've not recently (five years) used one. It will avoid you getting DMV points on this. Your insurance company however, will still get the record of the offense and your rates may go up. Since passing a school bus is a six pointer, you might seriously consider it.

 

[TheGeekess]

Unless you are on a divided highway or some other road where pedestrians are barred from crossing you need to stop.

You can plead Nolo Contendre, if you've not recently (five years) used one. It will avoid you getting DMV points on this. Your insurance company however, will still get the record of the offense and your rates may go up. Since passing a school bus is a six pointer, you might seriously consider it.

Some states/counties/localities require that ALL TRAFFIC STOP on a divided highway when school buses are loading/unloading.

 

[racer72]

Based on the OP's description and what is stated in in the link below, if there was a center turn lane on the road, the OP was not required to stop. The link however does not describe a 6 lane roadway and the law O.C.G.A. § 40-6-163 is rather vague.


http://www.cobbk12.org/centraloffice/transportation/OperationStopArm.pdf

 

[FlyingRon]

Some states/counties/localities require that ALL TRAFFIC STOP on a divided highway when school buses are loading/unloading.

But not Iowa generally. I did look up the statute before I posted.
However, it makes no difference in this case. The road was not divided or apparently pedestrian restricted in any way.

 

[FlyingRon]

Based on the OP's description and what is stated in in the link below, if there was a center turn lane on the road, the OP was not required to stop. The link however does not describe a 6 lane roadway and the law O.C.G.A. § 40-6-163 is rather vague.


http://www.cobbk12.org/centraloffice/transportation/OperationStopArm.pdf

I disagree. The statute doesn't lead me to believe a center turn lane affects the matter at all. It specifically calls for a divider or restriction on pedestrians crossing the road as the only exceptions in clause (b). That's pretty much reinforced by the pamphlet int he above link.

 

[xylene]

Poster,

You state:

No, of course I WOULD have stopped if I'd seen the bus on the far side of 6 lanes, but I DID NOT ever see it

You are not maintaining adequate visual scanning.

 

[HighwayMan]

It shouldn't be hard to see a school bus with flashing red lights even with 6 lanes.

The rest of traffic should have been stopped giving you a clear view.

 

[justalayman]

so, we have a busy road, 6 lanes wide, and unless everybody didn't stop, OP should have seen everybody else stopping and got the clue.


So OP, did all the other traffic simply keep driving or did they stop?