(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that has signed a bill into law requiring a mandatory six-month suspension of a driver’s license or operating privilege of any driver who, upon a third or subsequent time, is caught violating the state law on stopping for school buses.
“Existing laws requiring vehicles to stop for school buses are reasonable to protect the lives of children from reckless drivers,” Governor Lamont said. “Enhancing these penalties by requiring a temporary license suspension for those repeatedly violating this law reinforces to all drivers the extreme caution they must take anytime they approach a school bus, and especially when the buses are displaying their flashing red lights.”
Under existing law, drivers generally must stop their vehicles at least ten feet from the front or rear of a school bus that is displaying its flashing red signal lights and remain there until the bus no longer displays lights. Any person who violates this law faces a $450 fine for the first offense and a fine of $500 to $1,000, up to 30 days in prison, or both for a subsequent offense.
A separate law authorizes municipalities to adopt ordinances for using camera systems to enforce this law and set fines for violations, separate from the penalties in state law. This bill does not apply to violations of these municipal ordinances.
The legislation is Public Act 26-95.