Stopping-for-school-buses law

Approaching a slowing school bus 

Drivers approaching a slowing school bus from the rear with its overhead amber lights flashing need to be extra cautious, slow down and prepare to stop. The overhead amber flashing lights indicate that the school bus is coming to a stop to pick-up or drop-off passengers.

Drivers meeting (approaching from the opposite direction) a slowing school bus with its overhead amber lights flashing need to be extra cautious, slow down and prepare to stop. The only exception is on roadways divided by a median, where drivers approaching from the opposite side from the school bus are not required to stop. A median is a raised, lowered or earth strip dividing a road where vehicles travel in both directions.

Stopping requirements

The stopping-for-school-buses law applies everywhere, regardless of the posted speed limit — on highways, county roads, city, town or village streets.

Drivers meeting (approaching from the opposite direction) a stopped school bus with its overhead red lights flashing and its stop arm activated, must stop before reaching the bus and shall not proceed until the bus moves or the overhead red lights have stopped flashing and  its stop arm is no longer activated. The only exception is on highways divided by a median; drivers on the other side of the median approaching from the opposite are not required to stop. (A median is a raised, lowered or earth strip dividing a road where vehicles travel in both directions.)

Motorists approaching a stopped school bus from the rear with its overhead red signals lights flashing, shall stop at least 20 metres before reaching the bus and shall not proceed until the bus moves, or the overhead lights have stopped flashing and its stop arm is no longer activated.

Drivers who don’t stop for a stopped school bus with its overhead red lights flashing or its stop arm activated can be fined $400 to $2,000 and get six demerit points for a first offence. If you break the rule a second time within five years, the penalty is a fine of $1,000 to $4,000 and six demerit points. You could also go to jail for up to six months.

If the driver is not charged, the vehicle’s registered owner can be fined $400 to $2,000 for a first offence and $1,000 to $4,000 for subsequent offences within a five-year period if their vehicle illegally passes a school bus that is stopped with its overhead red lights flashing or its stop arm activated. If the vehicle owner does not pay the fine, they will not be able to renew the vehicle’s permit.

Stopping-for-school-bus law does not apply to all school-purposes buses

The school-bus stopping law only applies to chrome yellow school buses with proper markings and signals as defined in Section 175 of the Highway Traffic Actand only when loading or unloading adults with developmental disabilities or children. Drivers of other school- purposes vehicles must remember that they do not have the protection of this law, and be very careful when choosing places to stop and directing their passengers as they leave the bus..

Reporting a school bus being passed

In Ontario, school-bus drivers and other witnesses can report vehicles that have illegally passed a stopped school bus with its overhead red lights flashing or its stop arm activated. You can report a vehicle that doesn't stop properly for a school bus to police immediately by calling 911. You may also go to a police station to make a report. You may be required at a later date to attend court to provide evidence of what happened. The MTO Web Site has a summary of the information the police will ask you for about the incident. This information may also be provided to a person charged with an offence so that he or she has a summary of what you will say in court. This information should be provided to your local police station as soon after the incident as possible.