The school year is now in full swing and it is important as drivers to continue to practicing safe driving, especially when children are involved.
On Thursday, September 29, a tow truck crashed into a school bus carrying 27 children in St. Landry Parish, causing two children to be airlifted to the hospital and two others taken by ambulance. Children were exiting the bus when the tow truck crashed into the rear of the bus. In order to prevent incidents like this from happening again, it is crucial to remember Louisiana’s laws and procedures when driving near a school bus.
In Louisiana, the law states the driver of a vehicle coming upon a stopped school bus and red lights are flashing must stop no less than 30 feet away from the school bus and shall not proceed until the bus resumes motion or the visual signals are no longer activated.
Lafayette Consolidated Government has also noted more specific procedures when stopping for school busses depending on the type of road a driver is traveling on:
- Two lanes: Vehicles in both directions are required to stop.
- Three lanes (with center turning lane): When the road has a center turning lane with one travel lane on each side, vehicles traveling in each direction are required to stop.
- Four lanes (no center turning lane): Vehicles traveling in each direction are required to stop.
- Divided Roadway (with median): When the roadway has a grass median or other physical barrier, only traffic moving in the same direction as the bus is required to stop.
- Divided Roadway (two travel lanes with center turning lane): When the road has a center turning lane with two travel lanes on each side, only traffic moving in the same direction as the bus is required to stop.
The attorneys at Broussard, David & Moroux have the knowledge and experience necessary to handle cases of this nature and will fight to obtain fair compensation for your injuries. If you or a loved one has suffered harm because of the fault of another, contact the attorneys at Broussard, David & Moroux to discuss your legal rights at (337) 233-2323 (local) or (888) 337-2323 (toll-free).