Penalty for passing a school bus?

[aptwo]

What is the name of your state? VA

I was recently pulled over for passing a school bus on the opposite side of a 4 lane street (no median dividing the street). I honestly missed seeing the stop sign, but am taking the cops word that I went past. I am a little freaked out from reading several websites that this offense is reckless driving, a Class 1 Misdameanor, carries up to a $2,500 fine, 6 months suspension, and 1 year in jail. I am 28 years old and my driving record is perfect; never had a as much as a parking ticket! Will the judge show me any pity or will I really be stuck with a misdameanor on my record for the next 11 years for accidentally passing a school bus that was on the opposite side of the street?

Thanks!

 

[nextwife]

will I really be stuck with a misdameanor on my record for the next 11 years for accidentally passing a school bus that was on the opposite side of the street?

You honest to gosh STILL sound as though you don't think this is a big deal!

If the bus was on the opposite side of the street, some 5 year old could have been crossing in front of you. It is the driver's responsibility to be ESPECIALLY cautious if a school bus is there, not fly past because they are in a hurry, or busy finding better music on their MP3 player.

This SHOULD be treated harshly. But who's to know what the judge might do.

 

[wirry1422]

From what i understood about the rules of the road, oncoming traffic on the opposite side of a four-lane roadway, divided or not, is not required to stop for a stopped school bus. Only on a two lane road-way is opposite traffic required to stop. Am i missing something, or do other states simply have different rules on this issue then Illinois.

 

[wirry1422]

After doing some further research, you are apprently guilty of passing a school bus illegally according to Virginia law. However, under the very same circumstances you described, you would have violated no law in Illinois. Virginia state law specifies that all vehicles in all directions must stop for a school bus with the exception of vehicles on the opposite side of a divided access highway, which is a highway of four or more lanes WITH a median barrier or unpaved median strip. In other words, vehicles on a regular four lane roadway without the median still have to stop for school buses in Virginia. On the other hand, Illinois state law says that vehicles in both directions must stop for an unloading school bus, unless they are driving on a roadway with four or more lanes, in which case only vehicles traveling in the same direction need to stop, while vehicles traveling in the opposite direction need not stop. This applies to all roadways with four or more lanes, 2 of which are in the opposite direction, whether or not that roadway is divided. Illinois law also directs that school bus drivers shall construct their routes so that if they are dropping off children on a roadway with four lanes or more, they must always drop the children off/ or pick them up on the same side of the road as their home so that no child will ever have a reason to cross the four lane roadway, meaning that there is no need for oncoming traffic on that road to stop, while Virginia law has no such provision. So it seems we have two states with conflicting laws on a serious moving violation. Illinois says that oncoming traffic on ANY roadway with four or more lanes (with at least two lanes of opposite direction travel) does not need to stop for a loading school bus. While Virginia says that oncoming traffic on a four-lane road DOES need to stop for a loading school bus, unless that roadway is divided by a barrier or a median strip. I find this conflict very scary. The violation in question is a SERIOUS violation in either state, and yet they have conflicting laws, making a legal move in one state a violation of the law in another. So what's a traveling out-of-state motorist to do??? Anyone........