- Local every day in
Bus Behavior That Can Get You Thrown In Jail
School's almost back in session, but were you aware of these state laws about school buses?
Nobody's as good as six-year-old Meggie Norton when it comes to knowing all the "Rules of the Bus," but here are a few Massachusetts' state laws about school buses you might not have known...
#1. Everyone knows to stop when a school bus is loading and unloading passengers, but what you may not know is that if you don’t stop, you could get a ticket of up to $250. That fine can go up to $2,000 and a suspended license of up to a year for subsequent offenses. (MGL 90-14)
#2. Oh, speaking of stopping behind a stopped bus, even fire trucks, police cars and ambulances with their sirens on have to stop until the passengers have been loaded or unloaded. (MGL 89-7B)
#3. Tell your kids to sit down, because bus drivers can be fined up to $500 if they drive the bus when the kids aren’t sitting down, or if they have more school children than seats. (MGL 90-7L)
#4. Anybody caught throwing rocks at a school bus can be fined up to $500 and be sent to jail for a year. (MGL 159-104)
#5. Unless they’re on roads not open to other drivers, school bus drivers can’t go faster than 40 miles per hour if they’re transporting kids. (MGL 90-17)
Thanks. We'll email you the next time we update this story.
Kim Delaney-Chiary
12:48 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Everyday last school year, on Washington St, at least one car blew by my son's bus after it had stopped with its flashing lights on. Last year a teacher from Austin Prep past the bus as it was fully stopped and loading children. Her excuse was "I was late for a parent teacher meeting and I'm sorry" The city could make a lot of money pulling over these drivers. Thank God no one has been hit!
Shannon Bettencourt
1:56 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
I always stop ofcourse when the bus comes to a stop to load and unload children . But My God I hate getting stuck behind them when they stop every 2 seconds to pick up or drop off . When I was in school growing up I lived in a caldasack one way in one way out only, I had to walk to the top of the street to the bus stop no pulling in front of our houses, Juinior High I walked a block away to catch the bus , High School I walked 3 blocks away to catch my bus. This day in age you have to be careful but they should asign a neighbor hood for all the kids around that area and have parents there at all times or the bus driver cannot drop them off. Its tough when you have to be somewhere and get stuck behind them . When you have to go and pick your own kids up from school I heard more parents say to teachers
Shannon Bettencourt
1:59 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
I heard them say I am sorry I am late I got stuck behind a school bus.. Sorry I hit summit before I was done.
Kim Delaney-Chiary
2:47 pm on Friday, August 31, 2012
If you don't like getting stuck behind a bus, go a different route, leave earlier or later!!! Today in Woburn there is so much traffic, business and 2 Highways on or near Washington Street. So if the bus has to stop every 2 seconds oh well!! We need to keep the children safe. As for assigning a neighbor, Why???? Just stop for the school buses, Its the law!!!!