Drivers Must Stop for School Buses When school opens September 4, motorists should be especially alert and aware of state laws regarding sharing the road with school buses. At intersections, all drivers must come to a complete stop for a stopped school bus with red lights flashing. Under the law, motorists are required to stop even when approaching a school bus at right angles. On undivided highways or streets, all vehicles traveling in any direction are required to stop and remained stopped until all children are clear of the roadway and the bus is again in motion. On divided highways or streets, all vehicles in all lanes traveling in the same direction as the bus must come to a complete stop, but those traveling in the opposite direction and separated either by a physical barrier or an unpaved area may proceed without stopping. Failure to stop for a school bus loading or unloading children could result in a reckless driving charge and civil penalty of two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00). Virginia Beach school bus drivers are encouraged to report violations of state bus safety regulations. Under state law, school bus drivers only need to identify a vehicle by reporting the license number of the vehicle; a visual identification of the driver is not required. These reports are given to the city's police department, which then contacts the owners of the vehicles. For further information, contact the Office of Transportation at (757) 437-4909. ###