Alachua County Public Schools are back in session beginning August 12. The Alachua County Public Works Department would like to take the opportunity to remind drivers about the laws concerning stopped school busses that are loading or unloading children. Below are some excerpts from Florida Statute 316.172.
- All persons are required to bring their vehicle to a full and complete stop upon approaching a school bus which displays a stop signal.
- Any vehicle shall not pass the school bus until the bus stop signal has been withdrawn.
- Opposite direction traffic on a road that does not have a raised median or an unpaved space more than 5 feet wide is required to come to a full and complete stop upon approaching a school bus which displays a stop signal.
- Opposite direction traffic on a road with an unpaved space at least 5 feet wide, a raised median, or a physical barrier is not required to stop for a school bus which displays a stop signal.
If there isn’t a raised concrete median, a wide grassed median, or some physical barrier between your vehicle and a school bus that is stopped in the opposite direction of your travel, you must stop until the bus withdraws its stop signal. Please be mindful of our students. We wish everyone a happy and safe school year.