Sharing the road
A school bus ahead of you has stopped with its red lights flashing. What minimum distance from the bus does the manual tell you to keep when you stop?
- 20 feet Correct answer
- 10 feet
- 100 feet
Why
When a stopped school bus flashes its red lights, you must stop before you reach it, and the manual gives the distance to aim for: at least 20 feet away from the bus. Ten feet is short of that distance. One hundred feet is a real number in the manual, but for other rules: it is how far ahead you must signal a turn or lane change, and the no-passing zone around a railroad crossing on a two-way road. You can recognize a school bus by its SCHOOL BUS sign, the red lights on top and its yellow-orange color. When those red lights come on, 20 feet is the gap the manual wants between you and the bus.
Where this comes from
New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21), April 2026 version. The correct answer is 20 feet.
More on sharing the road
- You have stopped for a school bus with flashing red lights. The children have finished crossing, but the bus has not moved and its red lights are still on. When may you drive on?
- A school district's stop-arm camera records the same vehicle passing a stopped school bus with flashing red lights for the second time within 18 months. What penalty does the vehicle owner face?
- A bicycle is ridden at night on a New York road. From how far ahead must its headlight be visible?
- A bicycle ridden on a public highway in New York must have a horn or bell. From how far away must that horn or bell be heard?