Event Details

National School Bus Safety week is held during the third full week of October each year.  This year it falls on October 19-23, 2026.

Below is a refresher of the California school bus rules to keep in mind:

Drivers must stop when a school bus has its red lights flashing and the stop arm extended. This rule applies whether you are behind the bus or coming from the opposite direction—unless the road is divided by a physical barrier or median.

Here is what California law requires:

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• Flashing red lights mean stop: You must stop until the lights stop flashing and the stop sign arm is pulled back.

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• Yellow lights are a warning: Slow down and prepare to stop.

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• Two-lane roads: All traffic in both directions must stop.

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• Multi-lane roads with no divider: All lanes of traffic must stop.

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• Divided highways: Only traffic behind the bus must stop.