When approaching a school bus stopped with its stop arm extended, drivers should:
- Come to a complete stop and wait to proceed. ✓
- Honk their horn before passing the bus on its left.
- Continue driving when they think most kids are probably done exiting the bus.
- Pass the bus before its door opens.
Answer: A. Come to a complete stop and wait to proceed.
Come to a complete stop and wait until the bus withdraws its stop signal and all children are clear of the roadway.
Why this is the answer
The handbook says it is against the law to pass a school bus that is showing its stop signal. On a two-way street, drivers going either direction must stop for a bus that is picking up or dropping off children, and they must stay stopped until the signal is withdrawn and every child is off the roadway. Only on a divided highway with a raised barrier or a median at least five feet wide may opposite-direction traffic keep going, and even then same-direction traffic must stop.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. Honk their horn before passing the bus on its left. — Honking does not create an exception; the law forbids passing a bus that is displaying its stop signal, so you stop and wait instead of signaling and going around it.
- C. Continue driving when they think most kids are probably done exiting the bus. — Guessing when the children are mostly done is not the standard, since you must remain stopped until the stop signal is withdrawn and all children are clear of the roadway.
- D. Pass the bus before its door opens. — Trying to slip past before the door opens still means passing a bus that is picking up or dropping off children, which the handbook says is against the law.
Remember it
Think of the stop arm as a red light you cannot argue with: arms out means you stay put until it folds back in and the kids are off the road.