St. Mary’s County, MD — It’s back-to-school time in St. Mary’s County and across the region. Parochial schools are already back in class and public schools start next Tuesday.
The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office is reminding drivers to be watchful of buses and their young passengers, quoting directly from Maryland State Law:
From the Maryland Drivers Manual:
“Drivers are to stop for school vehicles.
If a vehicle has stopped on a roadway and is operating the alternately flashing red lights, the driver of any vehicle following or approaching the school vehicle shall:
-Stop at least 20 feet from the rear of the school vehicle, if approaching the school vehicle from its rear; or
-At least 20 feet from the front of the school vehicle, if approaching the school vehicle from its front.
The driver of any vehicle following or approaching the school vehicle may not proceed until the school vehicle resumes motion or the alternately flashing red lights are deactivated. This does not apply to the driver of a vehicle on a physically divided highway.”
If you pass a bus with a stop sign or lights activated, you could face a fine of $570 or three points on a driver’s license. Even worse, you could put the life of a child in danger.
With school back in session, you may want to factor buses in and leave a little earlier to make sure you can get where you need to be on time.