The New York State Law Every Driver Asks About

Ready or not, here comes the next school year! Whether you are getting ready for the very first day or your kids have graduated and moved away, you need to be ready for the new routine and kids and buses everywhere.

If you are a parent with school aged kids, the summer may have been long and you can't wait until the fall. The regular schedule of the school day/week make things a little less chaotic around the house.

But with the new routine for families, comes the reminder for people on the roads around schools and villages. Erie County Clerk, Mickey Kearns has a few things to keep in mind.

How far from a bus should your vehicle be from a bus with the red lights on? According to the law:

Motorists must stop their cars at least 20 feet away from the bus and wait until the red lights stop flashing, the extended stop sign is withdrawn, and the bus begins moving before they can start driving again.

According to an email sent to us from Erie County Clerk, Mickey Kearns, there are very specific rules about a divided highway and what to do when a school bus stops in New York State.

When a school bus stops and flashes its red lights, traffic approaching from either direction must stop before reaching the bus: on a two-lane road, on multi-lane highways, or on divided highways.