Traffic infraction question

[llecs]

OK, I didn't get a ticket but with cameras everywhere these days, who knows...here's the issue:

I'm two vehicles behind a school bus. The school bus drifts to the right shoulder and turns on his yellow lights. I assume they are going to drop off some school kids so I slow down and prepare to stop along with the car in front of me. The red lights w/ the swingable stop sign aren't out yet. The car in front slows and after 5 seconds, he decides to pass the bus, who still didn't put on the red lights. I approach the bus at a very slow speed and it is now 10-15 seconds since it's wheels had already stopped with the flashing yellow and I assumed that maybe they wanted the cars to pass and perhaps some kids had to cross the street. I make a decision to go around since there are still no red lights or red stop sign UNTIL my front bumper is ahead if it's front bumper and I look to the side (back and to the right) of my car and see the red stop sign come out. I pass and the bus driver honks.

Again, no tickets, but if a cop were standing there, did I commit a traffic infraction (and yes, state law is different everywhere, but the rules are fairly consistent)?

[IOBA]

As a former LEO, yes, you would have been ticketed.   AND the ticket would have held up in our courts.   AND we would have been encouraged to issue the ticket, not a warning, because kids were involved.   AND the bus driver could have called in/reported your plate and we would have issued the ticket based on the bus driver's word.   Some busses have traffic cams on them.  Double whammy to the unsuspecting driver who passes.

The yellow flashing lights were warning you of what was to come.  You knew what to expect.  It just took a bit longer than you expected.   

In our area, when the bus pulls over for traffic to pass, it just puts on it's turn signal, not the flashers.   That is how we know the difference between kids and no kids.

That's a good question.  I am sure others will chime in about their areas.   SOoooo glad you didn't get a ticket.

[llecs]

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@IOBA wrote:

In our area, when the bus pulls over for traffic to pass, it just puts on it's turn signal, not the flashers.   That is how we know the difference between kids and no kids.

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I agree too, but there are some buses in the area that pull over with the yellow flashing light and stop and kids don't get on or off. There's no red lights, but they stop for whatever reason (unruly kids, ahead of schedule on the route, or whatever). Everything is hindsight though. Wish I did stop. Hopefully nothing comes in the mail. I was certainly going slow enough for them to see the plate. Thanks for the input.

[IOBA]

*fingers crossed* that you don't get a ticket.   You sounded diligent in checking for danger, kids, etc.   And that would show on the traffic cam.

[MarineVietVet]

From the Texas Driver's Handbook:

Drive with care when you near a school bus. If you approach a school bus from either direction and the bus is displaying alternately flashing red lights, you must stop and not pass until (1) the school bus has resumed motion, or (2) you are signaled by the driver to proceed, or (3) the red lights are no longer flashing.

My reading of this says in Texas you don't have to stop if just the yellow ("Watch out the red lights are about to flash") lights are on. However a police officer might interpret it a little differently. 

From a BK years ago to:
EX - 9/09 pulled by lender 802, EQ - 10/10-813, TU - 10/10-774

"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they've made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem".

[haulingthescoreup]

I suppose it's a variant on entering an intersection while the light is on yellow, and it turns red before you clear it.

Anyway, fingers crossed on no ticket, and more importantly, I'm glad no one got a scare with a kid suddenly sprinting out of nowhere.

[IOBA]

I remembered last night, before myFICO dream, that bus drivers are required to come to a complete stop, check the kids inside the bus (everyone seated) and check to make sure traffic outside has stopped before turning on the red lights and opening the door.

With my son's bus, as soon as the driver started to open the door, the lights automatically changed from yellow to red.   So she was very diligent about making sure the traffic was stopped around her BEFORE opening the doors.  i don't know if all buses are like that  when the engine is running.

[Anonymous]

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@llecs wrote:

OK, I didn't get a ticket but with cameras everywhere these days, who knows...here's the issue:

I'm two vehicles behind a school bus. The school bus drifts to the right shoulder and turns on his yellow lights. I assume they are going to drop off some school kids so I slow down and prepare to stop along with the car in front of me. The red lights w/ the swingable stop sign aren't out yet. The car in front slows and after 5 seconds, he decides to pass the bus, who still didn't put on the red lights. I approach the bus at a very slow speed and it is now 10-15 seconds since it's wheels had already stopped with the flashing yellow and I assumed that maybe they wanted the cars to pass and perhaps some kids had to cross the street. I make a decision to go around since there are still no red lights or red stop sign UNTIL my front bumper is ahead if it's front bumper and I look to the side (back and to the right) of my car and see the red stop sign come out. I pass and the bus driver honks.

Again, no tickets, but if a cop were standing there, did I commit a traffic infraction (and yes, state law is different everywhere, but the rules are fairly consistent)?

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I'm in NOVA too, and I'm pretty sure all the traffic cams (for ticketing purposes) here are unoperational; but as soon as you cross into DC you start getting monitored by atleast 1 billion cameras.

[llecs]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I'm in NOVA too, and I'm pretty sure all the traffic cams (for ticketing purposes) here are unoperational; but as soon as you cross into DC you start getting monitored by atleast 1 billion cameras.

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I was leaning towards cameras on buses, which are out there. Though I do agree, traffic cams everywhere. It wasn't long ago when I got off the Beltway and River Rd cutting through towards Bethesda and my biz partner said "STOP!" I did and he pointed out the traffic cams on the side of the road that take a pic of your backside if you are going a hair above 35 mph. Once you see one, you'll see them everywhere because you know what to look out for.

[Anonymous]

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@MarineVietVet wrote:

From the Texas Driver's Handbook:

Drive with care when you near a school bus. If you approach a school bus from either direction and the bus is displaying alternately flashing red lights, you must stop and not pass until (1) the school bus has resumed motion, or (2) you are signaled by the driver to proceed, or (3) the red lights are no longer flashing.

My reading of this says in Texas you don't have to stop if just the yellow ("Watch out the red lights are about to flash") lights are on. However a police officer might interpret it a little differently. 

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True, but "Driver's Handbooks" quite frequently contain text that is not found in the state statutes.  You cannot be ticketed for something written in the driver's handbook.