As a former school bus driver, I can attest that this is probably the most violated part of the code. In Keller, there is a 6-lane highway, divided only by a left turn center lane (no physical barriers, just striped/painted). One of my stops dropped a single child who had to cross all 6 lanes, plus center left turn lane, to get to his house which was actually on the highway. People going the opposite way rarely ever stopped because they thought, hey, the bus is all the way over there across the highway, and it is divided by the center lane. After several close calls, I found a different way to drop that student off. You can't imagine the people who just 'see through' the flashing red lights, the flashing stop sign, everything. It's kind of like people 'seeing through' motorcycles.jbarn wrote:Yes,C-dub wrote:I think there are exceptions, like if the road has a median that divides or separates the two different directions is one.texanjoker wrote:Dave2 wrote:Wait, what?!? When did that become illegal? I live really close to a school and at the right time of day, if I can't pass them, they'd be blocking the main road to and from my house for 30 minutes.srothstein wrote:Some other offenses about schools are also class B (like passing a school bus).
Sorry for the thread drift, but if I'm understanding you correctly, and you're correct about what the law says, then I need to start taking an inconvenient route to/from work on some days!
If the buses have their red flashing lights on you cannot pass in either direction.
Texas Transportation Code
Sec. 545.066. PASSING A SCHOOL BUS; OFFENSE. (a) An operator on a highway, when approaching from either direction a school bus stopped on the highway to receive or discharge a student:
(1) shall stop before reaching the school bus when the bus is operating a visual signal as required by Section 547.701; and
(2) may not proceed until:
(A) the school bus resumes motion;
(B) the operator is signaled by the bus driver to proceed; or
(C) the visual signal is no longer actuated.
(b) An operator on a highway having separate roadways is not required to stop:
(1) for a school bus that is on a different roadway; or
(2) if on a controlled-access highway, for a school bus that is stopped:
(A) in a loading zone that is a part of or adjacent to the highway; and
(B) where pedestrians are not permitted to cross the roadway.
......
(f) For the purposes of this section:
(1) a highway is considered to have separate roadways only if the highway has roadways separated by an intervening space on which operation of vehicles is not permitted, a physical barrier, or a clearly indicated dividing section constructed to impede vehicular traffic; and
(2) a highway is not considered to have separate roadways if the highway has roadways separated only by a left turn lane.
Sec. 541.302. TRAFFIC AREAS. In this subtitle:
(5) "Highway or street" means the width between the boundary lines of a publicly maintained way any part of which is open to the public for vehicular travel.
As for that crazy wife of the LEO, I would have told her to go ...... well, stick it where the sun doesn't shine.
TBM