School buses

Key points

1. Stop the entire time a school bus is stopped or preparing to stop with red or amber lights flashing or its stop arm out.

   Source: Handbook p. 7-8

   “You must stop for the entire time a school bus is stopped or preparing to stop with its red or amber lights flashing or its stop arm extended.”
   South Carolina Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 7-8

2. Once the lights stop and the stop arm is gone, proceed slowly and watch for children.

   Source: Handbook p. 7-8

   “After the school bus's red and/or amber lights have stopped flashing and the stop arm is no longer visible, proceed slowly, watching for children.”
   South Carolina Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 7-8

3. You must stop for a stopped school bus when driving on a two lane road.

   Source: Handbook p. 7-9

   “You are required to stop for a stopped school bus when driving on a two-lane road.”
   South Carolina Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 7-9

4. Oncoming traffic on a multi lane highway or multi lane private road does not have to stop for a stopped school bus.

   Source: Handbook p. 7-10

   “A driver of a vehicle does not have to stop upon meeting a stopped school bus when traveling in the opposite direction on a multi-lane highway or multi-lane private road.”
   South Carolina Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 7-10

5. A multi lane highway has four lanes, with at least two traffic lanes in each direction.

   Source: Handbook p. 7-10

   “A multi-lane highway or multi-lane private road is defined as a highway or private road that consists of four lanes, having at least two traffic lanes in each direction”
   South Carolina Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 7-10

6. You must always stop on any highway when you are behind the bus.

   Source: Handbook p. 7-10

   “You must always stop on any highway when you are behind the bus.”
   South Carolina Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 7-10

7. You also need not stop when the bus is in a loading zone off the main lanes and pedestrians may not cross.

   Source: Handbook p. 7-9

   “When the school bus is in a passenger loading zone completely off the main travel lanes and when pedestrians are not allowed to cross the roadway.”
   South Carolina Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 7-9

Numbers to know

3 questions from the South Carolina practice test

1. 1. On a two-lane highway, what must a driver do when a school bus is stopped or preparing to stop with its red or amber lights flashing?

   1. Pass slowly if the driver cannot see children near the roadway
   2. Stop for the entire time the bus is stopped or preparing to stop
   3. Stop only when following the bus, never when meeting it
   4. Continue at 15 mph until the bus driver waves
   Show answer

   Stop for the entire time the bus is stopped or preparing to stop. On any two-lane highway, the stopping duty applies whether you are meeting the school bus or traveling behind it. You must remain stopped while the bus is stopped or preparing to stop with red or amber lights flashing or its stop arm extended. A clear view of children does not cancel the rule, and it is not limited to vehicles behind the bus. Wait until the red and amber lights have stopped flashing and the stop arm is no longer visible, then proceed slowly while watching for children.

2. 2. On a four-lane highway, when must you stop for a school bus traveling in the opposite direction?

   1. You stop only after the bus has moved again
   2. You must stop for every bus regardless of direction
   3. You stop only if the bus driver waves
   4. You generally do not have to stop when meeting it in the opposite direction
   Show answer

   You generally do not have to stop when meeting it in the opposite direction. On a four-lane or wider highway, a driver meeting a stopped school bus in the opposite direction generally does not have to stop. The exception described in the manual is different from traveling behind the bus, where a driver must stop. The bus lights and stop arm still demand caution, and children may be nearby, so never pass recklessly or proceed while your own lane is affected. The cue is to identify both roadway type and direction: multi-lane opposite traffic is the narrow exception, not a universal permission around school buses.

3. 3. A South Carolina school bus has stopped in a passenger loading zone completely off the main travel lanes, and pedestrians are not allowed to cross the roadway. Must passing drivers stop?

   1. Yes, every driver in both directions must stop until the bus moves
   2. Yes, unless the bus driver waves traffic on
   3. No, this is one of the situations where drivers do not have to stop
   4. Only drivers who are meeting the bus from the opposite direction
   Show answer

   No, this is one of the situations where drivers do not have to stop. The South Carolina manual lists a bus in a passenger loading zone completely off the main travel lanes, where pedestrians are not allowed to cross the roadway, as a situation in which drivers do not have to stop. Both conditions matter: the bus is fully out of the travel lanes, and no one may walk across the road. A wave from the bus driver is not the rule, and the exception does not fall only on oncoming traffic. Still pass slowly and watch for children near the zone.

Source: the South Carolina Driver's Manual, Section 7: General Driving. 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.