Passing a school bus on a parkway in GA

[Mustangsally85]

Additional point

Four lanes with a median seperating them.

 

[Zigner]

The bus was unloading passengers. In an area in which it would be illogical if not illegal for crossing four lanes of traffic in the opposite direction of offload point.

Kids aren't logical - which is why the law requires you to stop.

 

[davew128]

Kids aren't logical - which is why the law requires you to stop.

The orangutan in the human suit disagrees with you.

 

[HighwayMan]

Kids do the darndest things and sometimes shoot across the middle of the street where it is not safe or legal to do so. Hence the reason for the statute which prohibits passing a stopped school bus.

 

[Mustangsally85]

Right - it was on the same roadway and you blew past it.

Yes b/c I did not see him. This is my point why it's very dangerous to pull off the highway to unload. I'm also pretty sure that the ga state unloading procedures for school bus drivers tell them to stay on the main highway. If you wanna save children let's make it mandatory for them to pull in the neighborhood!

 

[Silverplum]

Yes b/c I did not see him. This is my point why it's very dangerous to pull off the highway to unload. I'm also pretty sure that the ga state unloading procedures for school bus drivers tell them to stay on the main highway. If you wanna save children let's make it mandatory for them to pull in the neighborhood!

Well, then.

 

[Mustangsally85]

Logically, would you expect a school bus to stop and disgorge passengers except from the extreme right lane of a highway? If you were going the same way and passed a school bus properly displaying the passenger discharge lights, you deserve the ticket. Whether the bus was going to continue straight or turn afterward is irrelevant.

I would expect them to stay in the lane of travel.

 

[Mustangsally85]

Just for my own personal understanding and clarification: was the bus in the process of making a turn OR was the STOP sign out/lights flashing?

Stop arm out, ironically the lights looked white and flashing on the stop sign.

 

[Mustangsally85]

Furthermore, how can I be prosecuted in a court for a crime with no victim? Is the camera going to testify against me?? How can the court prove I was the driver? And why should I have to give up my fifth amendment right and say who was really driving that day. I don't feel like this is the answer to saving our children. The laws are not clear and I'm a perfect example of that.

 

[Silverplum]

Stop arm out, ironically the lights looked white and flashing on the stop sign.

The stop sign on the big yellow school bus you didn't see had flashing lights?

 

[Silverplum]

Furthermore, how can I be prosecuted in a court for a crime with no victim? Is the camera going to testify against me?? How can the court prove I was the driver? And why should I have to give up my fifth amendment right and say who was really driving that day. I don't feel like this is the answer to saving our children. The laws are not clear and I'm a perfect example of that.

Oh, yes, the 'victimless crime' defense. Run with that.

 

[not2cleverRed]

The law is the law.

IF you had bothered to look at the GEORGIA specific source I cited, the LAW is that if you are traveling the same direction as the bus and its Stop Arm is out THEN YOU STOP.

There does not have to be a victim for this to be a crime. It is enough that you were caught violating the traffic law. PERIOD.

You are toast. The camera caught you clearly enough that the license plate was legible and you were ticketed. The bus was in use. There were people there who could have easily witnessed and reported you. Georgia has a very nice form for that.

It's not like it was an empty bus parked on the side of the road with the Stop Arm mistakenly left out.

 

[HighwayMan]

I'm also pretty sure that the ga state unloading procedures for school bus drivers tell them to stay on the main highway.

You're pretty sure? So please provide us a reference to the specific rule/regulation/law. Please.

 

[Mustangsally85]

I'm checking on that now, but I do want to say thank you to all of you on this thread for responding especially Silver. The only way I can understand why I'm not understanding is bc of smart minded people like yourselves. I do want you to take note it wasn't like the bus and I were moving together. It's really easy to stop for a school bus that your traveling alongside with b/c your aware of it. In my case I approached this school bus at probably about 45 mph (this is on a highway) apparently not a controlled access highway with a loading zone like you're saying it's not but by the time I realized it was over there it was too late to stop so I'm not even sure that it was visible 300 feet in either direction. With that being said I wanted clarity on the law bc if you reference the Cobb stop arm operation diagram it does not show a scenario with right hand turning lane on a four lane road. If we allow cameras to be legal what's to say someday the enforcement of these might not become corrupt and unjust?

 

[Mustangsally85]

You're pretty sure? So please provide us a reference to the specific rule/regulation/law. Please.

#9 on this link:

http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/buses/BusDriverSafety/LoadingUnloading/LoadingUnloadingHANDOUT3_version1.doc

It does say stay to the right but it also says stay in the traffic lane unless state law says otherwise.