Indiana Attorney General Approves Of Extended School Bus Stop Arms

The longer stop arms extend into the lane next to the school bus.

Photo by Mike Perleberg, Eagle Country 99.3.

(Indianapolis, Ind.) - Indiana’s attorney general says the state’s school districts are free to use extended stop arms to prevent other vehicles from passing school buses.

The longer stop arms extend across the road into oncoming traffic as a way to deter drivers from illegally passing as children are dropped off or picked up.

AG Curtis Hill says in an official opinion that no federal or state laws prohibit the use of extended stop arms on school buses. Attorney general opinions don’t have the force of law, however, courts generally respect them.

Indiana recently enacted a law to increase the punishment for drivers who pass stopped school buses. A judge could suspend a driver’s license for 90 days the first time a driver is convicted of recklessly passing a stopped school bus. Offenders could face a felony charge if the illegal pass results in an injury or death. The law also allows school buses to be equipped with cameras to capture video of vehicles passing them.

Lawmakers looked to increase bus stop safety after three siblings were killed by a driver who negated to stop for a school bus as it was picking up the children near Rochester, Indiana in October 2018.

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