10/29/2026
Thank you to the Buffalo MN Fire Department for sharing this information on bus stop safety! ..
School Bus Safety: Red lights = STOP.
We’ve all been there. You’re driving along, you see a school bus ahead, and then those red lights start flashing.
Under Minnesota law, when a school bus is stopped with its stop signal extended and red lights flashing, drivers approaching from either direction on the same roadway must stop at least 20 feet from the bus and remain stopped until the red lights stop flashing.
You MUST STOP when:
• A school bus is stopped with its red lights flashing
• The bus has its stop signal extended
• You are approaching the bus from either direction on the same roadway
When can you keep going?
There is an exception when the bus is stopped on the other side of a roadway that is separated by a physical barrier, raised median, or depressed median.
That situation is shown in the pictures in this post.
Fire trucks stop.
Ambulances stop.
Police cars stop.
Even emergency vehicles have to follow the rules around stopped school buses unless they are responding to an emergency and the law allows otherwise.
And remember:
RED LIGHTS = STOP.
Let’s help make sure every kid gets to school safely… and gets back home safely, too
