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?
- Once the bus moves again, or once its driver or a traffic officer waves you on. Correct answer
- As soon as the children have finished crossing and the road is clear.
- After waiting a full minute, if the bus still has not moved.
Why
Once you have stopped for a school bus, the manual sets exactly two ways to be released: the bus starts moving again, or its driver or a traffic officer signals you to proceed. Your own judgment that the children are safe is not one of them. No waiting time releases you either. The bus driver is on the list for a reason: school bus drivers are among the people the manual counts as authorized to direct traffic. Until the bus rolls or one of those two people signals you through, you stay where you are.
Where this comes from
New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21), April 2026 version. The correct answer is Once the bus moves again, or once its driver or a traffic officer waves you on.
More on sharing the road
- 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?
- A bicycle crash causes a serious injury. Under New York's rules for bicyclists, within how many days must it be reported to the DMV?