If you’re driving to work this week, there’s a new state rule to know: drivers who are approaching a stopped school bus from an oncoming lane also need to stop 20 feet away.
The new rule, enacted in May, stipulates that when approaching a school bus that is stopped with its red lights flashing, drivers must pause at least 20 feet before reaching it, whether the bus is on your side of the road, the opposite side of the road or at an intersection.
There is an exception though: you don’t have to stop, if there’s a raised or depressed median or other physical barrier between directions of traffic. Painted lines or a painted median will no longer be sufficient; there needs to be a physical barrier separating the lanes. Drivers must remain stopped until the flashing lights are no longer flashing.
School starts this week for children in Aurora Public Schools, Commerce City (Adams 14) and Weld County School District RE-1. Most other Colorado school districts will go back over the following two weeks.
Each school year, there are multiple near misses and crashes involving school buses and other vehicles. One of the most common risks is when drivers illegally pass a stopped school bus that is displaying flashing red lights. Col. Matthew Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol, said that scenario places children at risk while crossing the street, boarding or disembarking.
“Knowing when you are required to stop needs to become second nature,” he said. “School buses create temporary traffic control zones; they are mobile safety zones for the bus and the vulnerable population they transport.”
Troopers issued 15 citations for failing to stop for a stopped school bus displaying flashing red lights in 2024. So far this year, troopers have issued nine citations through the month of May, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
In addition, over the last five years, there have been five crashes involving school buses because drivers failed to stop. Four resulted in property damage only, and the fifth was an injury crash.
“Those flashing lights and stop signs aren’t just for show,” said Packard. “They are there to keep kids safe. It’s also a life lesson for these students. Demonstrate patience and respect for others; these kids are watching and learning from you.”
