Here’s The Fine You’ll Pay For Passing A Stopped School Bus In NJ

School is back in session across most of New Jersey, and I always like to take a moment this time of year to talk about school bus safety while on the roads. A few years ago, while living in PA, I accidentally blew past a school bus that had its red lights on, and the repercussion for that was not fun, so now I like to take an abundance of caution and pass along the rules of the road to other drivers.

School Is Back In Session, NJ Drivers Need To Look Out For School Buses

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If you're driving down the road in the morning or the afternoon, and you see a school bus with its red lights on and stop sign out, that means you have to stop. It seems pretty self-explanatory, but still, we see videos all the time of people blowing past school buses.

How Far From A School Bus Do You Need To Stop In NJ?

You should also be stopping with about 25 feet of distance between you and the school bus, according to News 12.

When Don't You Need To Stop For A School Bus In New Jersey?

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There is an exception to this rule, however, and that's if you're on a divided highway with a raised median. In that instance, oncoming traffic doesn't need to stop, but you do need to reduce your speed to about 10 miles per hour.

And sometimes, mistakes happen, and you end up coming close to, or blowing right by, a school bus that's got its red lights on and stop sign out, so what's the punishment?

What's The Punishment For Driving Past A School Bus In NJ?

You could see up to 5 points on your license and a fine of $250 coming at you, and nowadays, school buses are equipped with cameras to catch drivers who pass them while stopped.

You can always use my rule of thumb when I see a school bus as well: when in doubt, just stop.