Back to School Driving Reminders
Huntley schools are back in session on August 14. With the school year approaching, please take some time to refresh yourself and other drivers in your household on rules of the road regarding school buses and School Zones. These situations often arise during peak travel times and adherence to the laws is important for the safety of everyone on the road.
School Bus Stop Arms
- When a school bus is stopped with red flashing lights activated and stop signal arm extended, vehicles traveling in all directions are required to come to a complete stop until the red flashing lights stop and the stop signal arm is no longer extended.
- This statute applies on and off the roadway in areas such as private roads, school property or parking lots.
- When a school bus is stopped on a four-lane roadway with two lanes allowing opposite direction of travel, oncoming traffic is not required to stop for school buses loading and unloading.
- Any violator convicted under this statute will face a mandatory three month suspension of their driver's license.
School Speed Zones
- School Zones are in effect on normal school days from 7 am to 4 pm and when children are present.
- The speed limit in a School Zone is 20 mph. Outside of the designated provisions above, the normal speed limit of the roadway applies.
- There is no passing in School Zones.
- Use of any electronic communication device (such as a cell phone), even in hands-free mode, is prohibited in a School Zone.
Additionally, drivers must always yield to pedestrians at crosswalks and should be cognizant of kids and additional traffic in the neighborhoods. Your morning commute may take a little longer, but that is a small inconvenience for the safety of our kids or the risk of moving violation.
Huntley Safety 1st is the monthly education series written by the staff of the Huntley Police Department. On the first of each month, we provide citizens with information on a different public safety related issue.