Permits passing a school bus on a public highway with six or more lanes when traveling the opposite direction of the stopped school bus while separated from such school bus by a median or permanent barrier.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A5519
SPONSOR: Durso TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to stopping for
a school bus on a public highway with six or more lanes
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
Relates to stopping for a school bus on a public highway with six or
more lanes.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1. Subdivision (a) of section 1174 of the vehicle and traffic
law, as amended by chapter 597 of the laws of 1990, is amended to read
as follows:
(a)The driver of a vehicle upon a public highway, street or private road
upon meeting or overtaking from either direction any school bus marked
and equipped as provided in subdivision twenty of section three hundred
seventy-five of this chapter which ,has stopped on the public highway,
street or private road for the purpose of receiving or discharging any
passengers, or which has stopped because a school bus in front of it has
stopped to receive or discharge any passengers, shall stop the vehicle
before reaching such school bus when there is in operation on said
school bus a red visual signal as specified in subdivision twenty of
section three hundred seventy-five of this chapter and said driver shall
not proceed until such school bus resumes motion, or until signaled by
the driver or a police officer to proceed. PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT A
VEHICLE SHALL NOT BE REQUIRED TO STOP FOR A SCHOOL BUS WHICH IS STOPPED
FOR THE PURPOSE: OR RECEIVING OR DISCHARGING ANY PASSENGERS • WHEN SUCH
VEHICLE IS TRAVELING ON A PUBLIC HIGHWAY COMPOSED OF AT LEAST SIX LANES,
IS TRAVELING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF THE STOPPED SCHOOL BUS AND IS
SEPARATED FROM SUCH SCHOOL BUS BY A MEDIAN OR PERMANENT BARRIER.Ct.
JUSTIFICATION:
Our children's safety is top priority. It makes sense to require motor-
ists; traveling in the same direction as a school bus, to stop when a
school bus flashes its red lights, extends its stop arm and stops to
drop off or pick up students. In this instance, drivers are more alert
to a yellow school bus signaling It Is about to stop, versus one that is
travelling in the opposite direction on a multiple lane highway where
the speed limit In some areas can reach as high as 65 mph. These drivers
are focused on the traffic pattern in front of them and not across
multiple lanes on the other side of the highway. This in itself poses a
traffic hazard where there is a potential for multiple vehicle accident.
Also, it is also safe to say that children are being dropped off and/or
picked up on the side of a multiple lane highway where they reside, This
legislation will not require vehicles, travelling on the opposite side
of a six-lane highway, which is separated by a median or barrier, to
stop for a school bus that stops to drop off orpick up children. Traffic
safety laws are designed to keep everyone safe.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2024: A8144 Referred to Transportation
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date
on which it shall have become a law. Effective Immediately, the addl-
tion necessary or the implementation of this act on its effective date
are authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective
date.
