NJ: Pass stopped bus legal?

[mjpayne]

What is the name of your state? NJ

Is it legal to pass a stopped bus on the left even if it requires one's wheels to touch/pass the double yellow line? I see this situation constantly. Often your only options are to pass like I described above or stop behind the bus, which will generally result in angry honking behind you and people passing you AND the bus.

If it's not legal, what is the penalty? How many points/fine?

 

[LdiJ]

What is the name of your state? NJ

Is it legal to pass a stopped bus on the left even if it requires one's wheels to touch/pass the double yellow line? I see this situation constantly. Often your only options are to pass like I described above or stop behind the bus, which will generally result in angry honking behind you and people passing you AND the bus.

If it's not legal, what is the penalty? How many points/fine?

Are you talking about a regular city bus?...not a school bus?

 

[mjpayne]

Are you talking about a regular city bus?...not a school bus?

Yes, I mean a regular bus, not a school bus with it's stop sign out.

 

[LdiJ]

Yes, I mean a regular bus, not a school bus with it's stop sign out.

Then I think its going to depend entirely on your specific city ordinances.

 

[quincy]

What is the name of your state? NJ

Is it legal to pass a stopped bus on the left even if it requires one's wheels to touch/pass the double yellow line? I see this situation constantly. Often your only options are to pass like I described above or stop behind the bus, which will generally result in angry honking behind you and people passing you AND the bus.

If it's not legal, what is the penalty? How many points/fine?

You cannot cross double yellow lines unless the road is obstructed or impassable otherwise (which it would be if a bus was partially blocking the lane).

https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/2017/title-39/section-39-4-86/

You know, mjpayne, instead of looking up answers to other posters' questions, you might want to spend your time looking up the answers to your own questions.

 

[mjpayne]

You cannot cross double yellow lines unless the road is obstructed or impassable otherwise (which it would be if a bus was partially blocking the lane).

You know, mjpayne, instead of looking up answers to other posters' questions, you might want to spend your time looking up the answers to your own questions.

I did search for it, and found all sorts of interpretations.

 

[quincy]

Links to other legal websites are not permitted. Your post was reported for editing.

 

[mjpayne]

Links to other legal websites are not permitted. Your post was reported for editing.

Sorry, didn't realize, deleted it.

 

[quincy]

Sorry, didn't realize, deleted it.

That's okay. It is one of the often-overlooked terms and conditions of this site.

Your question here is essentially the same as the question asked 5 years ago on the other site. The law has not changed.

You cannot cross the double yellow lines absent a blockage of some sort that makes forward travel impossible without crossing the lines.

Buses that stop frequently to load and unload passengers will often pull to the side of the road and wait for traffic to pass before pulling back on the road.

 

[mjpayne]

That's okay. It is one of the often-overlooked terms and conditions of this site.

Your question here is essentially the same as the question asked 5 years ago that you linked to. The law has not changed.

Yes, I just wasn't sure given the wide range of answers (anywhere from legal to illegal). I guess the question rests on whether or not a temporarily stopped bus counts as an obstruction. I have no idea. Maybe by obstruction they mean a parked (with no driver) car or a fallen tree. I could see a cop giving me a ticket for illegal passing of the center line for passing a temporarily (under 20 seconds) stopped bus same as I would get by passing a slow moving (significantly below speed limit for no apparent reason) car.

 

[quincy]

You can call your local police and ask.

 

[HighwayMan]

I wouldn't say that a bus making a brief stop renders the travel lane "impassable", but that's just my opinion.

You can get ticketed for anything - ultimately the only opinion that counts is that of the judge that hears your case.

When you actually get ticketed for an offense you can come back and ask a non-hypothetical question.

 

[mjpayne]

I wouldn't say that a bus making a brief stop renders the travel lane "impassable", but that's just my opinion.

You can get ticketed for anything - ultimately the only opinion that counts is that of the judge that hears your case.

When you actually get ticketed for an offense you can come back and ask a non-hypothetical question.

I didn't want to wait that long since by then it's too late. Police rarely give moving violation tickets that are wrong or the sort that can be contested effectively in court. Generally the only practical solution by that point in time is pleading guilty.

 

[quincy]

I didn't want to wait that long since by then it's too late. Police rarely give moving violation tickets that are wrong or the sort that can be contested effectively in court. Generally the only practical solution by that point in time is pleading guilty.

Ask your local police. Or stop and wait for the bus to move.

 

[HighwayMan]

I didn't want to wait that long since by then it's too late.

So does that mean that now you'll be posting questions about every possible traffic violation that you can be stopped for?

Police rarely give moving violation tickets that are wrong or the sort that can be contested effectively in court.

Really? So I'm glad to hear that every time you get a traffic ticket you'll acknowledge that you were wrong and just plead guilty and pay it.