Maryland Reminds Drivers: Stop For School Buses Or Face Fines

With the new school year about to begin, Maryland transportation officials are warning drivers to obey state laws requiring them to stop for school buses, or risk steep fines and penalties.

Under Maryland law, all motorists must stop when a school bus is picking up or dropping off children. Despite this, enforcement data shows the rule is widely ignored. During the last school year alone, more than 20,000 automatic citations were issued to drivers who illegally passed stopped buses.

Officials caution that the real number of violations is likely far higher, since only nine of Maryland’s 24 school districts currently use bus-mounted enforcement cameras.

Drivers caught on camera face a $250 fine. Those stopped by police face up to a $570 fine and three points on their license.

Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration Administrator Chrissy Niser stressed that the law is designed to protect children, who may not always be aware of traffic dangers.

“Their focus may be on their friends, getting home, getting to school, and that excitement at the end of the day — not the vehicles that are passing by,” Niser said.

The law applies in nearly all situations, with one exception: drivers do not need to stop if they are separated from a bus by a physical barrier, such as a median, guardrail, or strip of grass.

State leaders emphasized that as students return to school routines, it is especially important for drivers to slow down, pay attention, and always stop for school buses to keep children safe.