"You cannot see the traffic coming up over the hill. Is this a median? To me, it's a median between the six lanes," says Kitty LaFountain.
She sent in her question asking if the center lane separating north and southbound traffic on Highway 247 was considered a median.
According to Georgia law, when a median separates the north and southbound lane, you don't have to stop on the opposite side of the bus, but is this stretch considered a median?
According to Captain Charlie Gunnels, it's not. He says, "If a highway has five lanes and has a multi-directional turning lane in the center, you do have to stop for school buses. Both directions have to stop for school buses."
So what is considered a median?
Gunnels explains, "By state law, a median can be a permanent fixture, such as a concrete barrier. It can be a steel guardrail, or it can actually be a grassy area."
He says Bibb deputies sometimes follow buses, and if you get caught passing a stopped bus: "It's a three-hundred and fifty dollar fine for passing a school bus with the stop arm out. If you happen to be under twenty-one, your driver's license will be automatically suspended. Persons over twenty-one will lose six points on their driver's license," says Gunnels.
He says, "Two speeding tickets and a bus stop and you'll be suspended."
Gunnels says bus drivers keep a record of cars that pass them and report them to the police department.
And he says if in doubt, stop for a bus with it's safety arm out.
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