Kentucky’s House Bill 7 broadened the circumstances in which drivers must stop for a school bus. On roads with four or more lanes, drivers approaching from the opposite direction must stop when the bus’s stop arm is extended, unless the roadway is divided by an elevated barrier or an unpaved median. A painted or paved median and a center turn lane do not create an exception, according to Kentucky Teacher. The law took effect July 15.
The law also allows school districts to use cameras to identify drivers who pass a bus with its stop arm extended. A first violation can bring a $300 fine, and later violations can bring a $500 fine, according to WBTV’s report, which credits WKYT/Gray News.
Those stop-arm rules are distinct from the circumstances of a student’s October 13 crash on Briar Hill Road in Lexington. WBTV, citing WKYT/Gray News, reported that the collision occurred on the city’s east side at about 7:25 a.m. The student was on the way to a bus stop and suffered life-threatening injuries. Fayette County Public Schools spokesperson Miranda Scully confirmed to the outlet that the student was walking to the stop.
Police were called to Briar Hill Road near Muir Station Road. They said the bus’s stop arm was not extended when the student was struck. The investigation is ongoing, and police do not expect to file criminal charges at this time, according to the same WBTV report.
For students waiting for a bus, Kentucky Department of Education guidance recommends arriving five minutes before the scheduled pickup and waiting 10 to 12 feet from the road, as reported by Kentucky Teacher.
