ALBANY, GA (WALB) - A new law that went into effect this year changes how a driver approaches stopped school buses on the roads.
Previously, drivers traveling in the opposite direction of a stopped school bus on a four-lane road with a turn lane in the middle had to stop. Now, those drivers aren't required to stop.
The change is part of a broader traffic bill that went into effect July 1. The language in House Bill 978 states that "the driver of a vehicle upon a highway that has separate roadways or a divided highway, including but not limited to, a highway divided by a turn lane, need not stop upon meeting or passing a school bus which is on a different roadway or on another half of a divided highway."
On two-lane roads, traffic in each direction still has to stop.
The law was passed despite a school transportation group representing 102 counties raising concerns about the rule change.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports passing stopped buses continues to be a significant problem. Last year, 12,229 Georgia bus drivers reported 7,945 illegal passes on one day, a survey found.
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