CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The 2024-25 school year is officially underway in the Charlotte area and school buses are once again part of the daily commute for drivers in the Carolinas.
After a few months off, you might need a refresher on school bus traffic laws in North Carolina. Most laws are similar to those in South Carolina, but there is one major difference drivers need to know.
North Carolina school bus rules of the road
Two-lane road
You always stop on a two-lane road, no matter which direction you're heading. This is uniform across all 50 states.
If a two-lane road has a center turning lane, both sides are also required to stop in both North Carolina and South Carolina.
How the Carolinas differ?
4-lane or multi-lane road
In North Carolina, both sides of the road are required to stop if there is NO median.
In South Carolina, you only have to stop when traveling in the same direction as the bus.
If the lanes are divided by a center turning lane or median, only traffic following the bus is required to stop in North Carolina. Drivers should remain stopped the entire time the flashing stop sign is extended. Once the stop sign is no longer visible, you can accelerate slowly. Always keep a watchful eye for children near buses.
Whether you are driving in North Carolina or any state in the U.S., kids need to know about the "danger zone."
The danger zone
The danger zone extends 10 feet from the front, back and each side of the bus. No one should ever enter the danger zone because the bus driver likely can't see you. If you drop something near the bus, let the driver know instead of simply picking it up off the ground.
Contact Chris Mulcahy at cmulcahy@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.