As the school year reaches the mid-point, motorists are reminded to not be complacent when they see a school bus with flashing red lights.
 
By law, motorists approaching from all directions are required to stop at least 10 feet from a school bus with its red lights flashing and stop arm extended. The only exception is when a driver encounters a school bus stopping on the opposite side of a highway clearly separated by a divider, such as concrete barriers or grass medians. Even in this situation, motorists should be alert for students trying to cross the road to catch the bus.
 
Motorists convicted of violating Pennsylvania’s school bus stopping law face a $250 fine, five points on their driving record and a 60-day license suspension.
 
Last year in Blair and the other five counties covered by District 9, there were nearly thirty crashes involving a school bus. The majority of those crashes occurred in the months of September, January and April. Nearly all the crashes were caused by an aggressive or distracted driver.