School buses and railroad crossings

Key points

1. Yellow flashing lights on a school bus warn you to slow down and prepare to stop.

   Source: Handbook p. 50

   “The yellow flashing lights warn you to slow down and prepare to stop.”
   California Driver's Handbook, Handbook p. 50

2. When a school bus flashes red lights, stop from either direction until children are across and the lights stop.

   Source: Handbook p. 51

   “When the bus flashes red lights (located at the top, front, and back of the bus), you must stop from either direction until the children are safely across the street and the lights stop flashing.”
   California Driver's Handbook, Handbook p. 51

3. Failing to stop can bring a fine of up to $1,000 and a one year suspension.

   Source: Handbook p. 51

   “If you fail to stop, you may be fined up to $1,000 and your driving privilege could be suspended for one year.”
   California Driver's Handbook, Handbook p. 51

4. You need not stop if the bus is on the other side of a divided or multilane highway (two or more lanes each way).

   Source: Handbook p. 51

   “If the school bus is on the other side of a divided or multilane highway (two or more lanes in each direction), you do not need to stop.”
   California Driver's Handbook, Handbook p. 51

5. Flashing red warning lights at a crossing mean stop, and wait until they stop flashing even if the gate rises.

   Source: Handbook p. 51

   “Do not proceed over the railroad tracks until the red lights stop flashing, even if the gate rises.”
   California Driver's Handbook, Handbook p. 51

6. When a train is coming, stop at least 15 feet from the nearest track.

   Source: Handbook p. 51

   “When the crossing devices or a person warns you a train is coming, stop at least 15 feet from the nearest track.”
   California Driver's Handbook, Handbook p. 51

7. Expect a train on any track, at any time, from either direction, and never stop on the tracks.

   Source: Handbook p. 52

   “Expect a train on any track, at any time, traveling in either direction. • Never stop on the railroad tracks.”
   California Driver's Handbook, Handbook p. 52

8. If you stall on the tracks with a train coming, get out and run diagonally toward the direction the train is coming from.

   Source: Handbook p. 70

   “Immediately exit your vehicle. Run away from the tracks diagonally in the direction the train is coming from. Then call 911.”
   California Driver's Handbook, Handbook p. 70

Numbers to know

Recognize these signs

3 questions from the California practice test

1. 1. A school bus on an undivided road is flashing red lights. What must drivers do?

   1. Stop only if traveling behind the bus
   2. Slow to 15 mph and pass with extra room
   3. Stop from either direction until the lights stop flashing
   4. Proceed once children have left your lane
   Show answer

   Stop from either direction until the lights stop flashing. When a school bus flashes red lights on an undivided road, traffic from both directions must stop and remain stopped until the flashing ends and children are safely across. Slowing to 15 mph is not enough; the manual requires a stop. The divided or multilane highway exception applies only when the bus is across a divided highway or a road with at least two lanes in each direction. Watch the top front and rear red lights as your cue.

2. 2. A school bus is stopped on the other side of a divided or multilane highway. Must you stop?

   1. Yes, but only until your lane clears
   2. Yes, unless you are more than 100 feet away
   3. No, you do not need to stop
   4. No, but you must honk before passing
   Show answer

   No, you do not need to stop. California says you do not need to stop for a school bus on the other side of a divided or multilane highway with two or more lanes in each direction. The 100 foot choice invents a distance rule that is not used for this school bus exception. The cue is a median or multiple lanes each way separating you from the bus; continue carefully while watching for unexpected pedestrians.

3. 3. When a crossing device warns that a train is coming, how far from the nearest track must you stop?

   1. Only behind the vehicle ahead
   2. At least 5 feet away
   3. Exactly 100 feet away
   4. At least 15 feet away
   Show answer

   At least 15 feet away. When warning devices or a person indicate a train is coming, stop at least 15 feet from the nearest track. Stopping five feet away places the vehicle too close to the rail area, and 100 feet is a speed-limit visibility condition, not the stopping distance. The cue is an active warning: flashing red railroad lights, gates, bells, or a flagger mean stop well before the track and wait.

Source: the California Driver's Handbook, Section 7: Laws and Rules of the Road. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.