does a school bus get a ticket if its parked with its sign up and not picking up kids.(ie smoko). i think its a good idea to do 20 past them when picking up kids , but how do you tell
allan_mac,
Aug 27, 3:51pm
Probably.When they are no longer transporting school kids, they have to take the sign down.
philltauranga,
Aug 27, 3:56pm
I think they should have a flashing beacon they need to turn on when stopping for kids on/off it would avoid confusion and remind people to slow down.
aliru,
Aug 27, 4:06pm
great idea the flashing light. i pass a school bus on the way to work everyday in the morning at 7.00 ish and its parked outside s school. was wondering if i met a policeman in a bad mood ,he could give me a ticket
fordcrzy,
Aug 27, 4:27pm
in australia they have a flashing sign on th back of the bus that operates when the bus is stopped and the doors open.such a simple idea that good old NZ hasnt picked up yet.morons
aliru,
Aug 27, 4:38pm
perhaps you could enlighten me ( but yes im probably due for a update)
philltauranga,
Aug 27, 4:39pm
Ive seen only 1 like that here in NZ and thought it was a brilliant idea. Everything elce thats slow / wide / or working on road side seems to have a beacon, seem silly for school buses which you are legally required to do 20kmh past when letting kids on/off not to be required to have them. On the subject of beacons theres a surf shop in Katikati and one in Huntly thats using them to draw attention and advertise there shop billboard you can see them from miles away as you travel through town - how long before all shops start doing this and we all become immune to the effect of the humble flashing warning beacon at which point we begin to ignore them, which could lead to your demise if you ignore mine while Im traveling down the narrow highways with a wide load intruding into your lane. I think they should ONLY be used as a warning to road users not for advertising a shop billboard.
aliru,
Aug 27, 4:47pm
it would make it very easy to know if they were picking up kids or dropping them off. I once saw a school bus overtake another that had stopped to pick up kids at about 80 kph. grrrrrrr.
aliru,
Aug 27, 4:52pm
hey phil .isnt it amazining how it shows up the whites of thier eyes when they ignore the pilot and see the load
philltauranga,
Aug 27, 4:57pm
Im sure that a few have left some browns in there pants aswell because Ive had some VERY close calls after drivers have ignored the pilots instructions to move hard left.
sparkyz,
Aug 27, 5:01pm
I sometimes think that I am the only one that slows for school buses. I also usually move towards the centre of the road to give me a little extra warning if a kid rushes out. I have been tooted at, and even passed on the left.
I ring the company and complain when I see buses or taxis parked with the sign out.
aliru,
Aug 27, 5:06pm
would be a good idea for the school buses and would be good to see the police inforcing it. i have dealt with the result of a child being run over and would like to see better steps taken to keep our kids safe
fordcrzy,
Aug 27, 5:25pm
we live up a road with a large sports field on it. when there are events onthe cars park along the narrow road and i drive along it at 30kph because kids tend to dart out behind cars.the F****N muppets who sit up my arse and want to do 60 is unbeleivable.i wonder how they'd feel killing a 5 year old out on a soccer day
poppajn,
Aug 27, 5:26pm
I have too and both bus,s were from the same company.
aliru,
Aug 27, 5:50pm
well weaver2010the road code says (my daughter is going for her lience and has a copy). "The signs below are displayed on school buses. If a school bus has stopped to let children on or off, you must slow down and drive at 20 kp/h or less until you are well past the bus, no matter what direction you are coming from.So if i pass a school bus at 70kp/h at 7.00 in the morning in a 70 kp/h zone and get pulled over by a policeman .Do i have to convince him that the bus driver lives nearby and leaves it there overnight with the signs on. Perhaps its time for a law change to keep our kids safe and make them all put flashing lights on them. Would be a small price to pay
fordcrzy,
Aug 27, 5:58pm
every friggen bus in sydney has them regardless whether it is a school bus or not. 40kph past th bus when the lights are flashing on it.simple
shane191,
Aug 27, 7:38pm
If the sign is showing you have to go 20km/hrpast it. And yes there is a fine for driver not taking down sign when parked up.
morrisjvan,
Aug 30, 10:11am
The biggest problem is with the schoolbuses in rural areas,more often than not it is just a white toyota van on the side of the road,and it's not untill you get closer that you can see the ''school'' signs and then have to slow down from 100 to 20 very quickly.they should have flashing lights operating whilst stopped.
I recall one incident, bus had pulled over, with School sign on it, middle of nowhere on 100k highway. I assumed it was letting off passengers and, travelling in the opposite direction, decelerated rapidly to 20k. The cloud of rubber smoke from the tires of the truck and trailer following me virtually obscured the truck. The problem with this rule is that once you have ascertained the bus is actually stopping, and worked out whethe it is doing so for the purpose of disembarking passengers or otherwise, you have very little spaceleft to decelerate safely to the required lower speed, more so if you are in a large truck. Sometimes I think that the rule might be safer in the breach than in the observance. Mr L
lalbagh,
Oct 8, 6:19am
What if it stopped for the purpose of waiting to do a U turn to drop off children on the other side of the road! That was what happened in my case- I presumed he had pulled over to let off children, but after I and the truck following had passed, he did a u turn across the road. How the hell am I expected to guess his intentions, whether it is to open his doors and drop children or do something else ! That is the weakness of this law IMO, it is impossible to discern his actual intention. So if the truck runs up my date because I slowed for a school bus that was doing something other than "discharging or embarking school children" am I left liable! In any case slowing suddenly in response to the actions of a vehicle pulling over on the opposite side of the road can be dangerous if not lethal.
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