Ask a Cop: What's the Rule About Stopping for a School Bus?

[This story was originally posted on Campbell Patch by editor Brad Kava.]

A reader asks:

What's the rule on school buses? We used to have to stop on either side of traffic, but now I don't see people doing that. 

Says California Highway Patrol spokesman Brad Sadek says: 

Section 22454 (a) of the California Vehicle Code is still very much in effect! 

It states “The driver of any vehicle, upon meeting from either direction, any school bus that is stopped for the purpose of loading or unloading any schoolchildren and displays a flashing red light signal shall bring the vehicle to a stop immediately before passing the school bus and shall not proceed past the school bus until the flashing red light signal and stop signal arm, if equipped with a stop signal arm, cease operation.

(b) (1) The driver of a vehicle upon a divided highway or multiple-lane highway need not stop upon meeting or passing a school bus that is upon the other roadway.

(2) For the purposes of this subdivision, a multiple-lane highway is any highway that has two or more lanes of travel in each direction.