Passing a School Bus

A person who does not stop before reaching a school bus stopped for the purpose of receiving or discharging students is guilty of Passing a School Bus. One must stop when the lights are activated on the school bus and the driver shall not proceed until the school bus resumes motion or the driver is signaled to proceed. See 625 ILCS 5/11-1414.

A conviction for passing a school bus requires a mandatory suspension of your license for a period of three (3) months. A second or subsequent violation of Passing a School Bus within five (5) years of a prior conviction requires a suspension of your license for a period of one (1) year.

In addition to a suspension of your license, any person convicted of this offense will receive a mandatory fine of $150.00 plus court costs or a mandatory fine of $500.00 for a subsequent violation. A citation issued for a violation of this section also requires the person to appear in court. As such, a citation issued for this offense requires the person to appear in court. As such, you simply cannot mail in the fine and court costs in advance of the court date.

Attorneys at The Law Office of J. Patrick Nelson, PC can provide the following defenses to Passing a School Bus:

• Stop signal arm was not extended after the school bus has come to a complete stop.
• The alternately flashing red signal lamps were not verified to be an 8-lamp flashing signal system as required by 625 ILCS 5/12-805.
• Red signal lamp of an 8-lamp flashing signal was not activated after the school bus came to a complete stop.
• The school bus driver signaled to the driver to proceed.
• The red signal lamp was not activated continuously during and not less than the last 100 feet traveled by the school bus before stopping and during not less than the last 200 feet.
• The amber signal lamps were not activated when the school bus stopped.
• The driver was driving upon a highway having 4 or more lanes which permits at least 2 lanes of traffic to travel in opposite directions.

If you receive a citation for Passing a School Bus, it is imperative that you contact The Law Office of J. Patrick Nelson, PC. There is no fee for an initial consultation and we can explain the court process and answer any questions you may have. The attorneys at The Law Office of J. Patrick Nelson, PC provide a high level of professionalism and experience defending traffic and criminal case