MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Murfreesboro Police Department (MPD) Traffic Unit officers are reminding motorists to obey school bus safety laws after stopping five vehicles on East Clark Boulevard this morning for illegally passing a stopped school bus with its stop sign extended and lights flashing.

Dash camera video from patrol units captured several vehicles disregarding the school bus stop arm, endangering children and violating state law. Officers issued citations for “disregarding a sign or signal – school bus.”

According to Tennessee law, drivers must stop when a school bus has its stop arm extended and red lights flashing—unless they are traveling on a divided highway with a physical barrier or unpaved median separating traffic.

Drivers must stop:

• On two-lane roads

• On multi-lane roads without a divider

• In school zones

Motorists should never pass a stopped bus, especially on the right side where children enter or exit. Passing a stopped school bus is illegal and dangerous, with the potential for tragic outcomes.

Drivers must remain stopped until the bus begins moving, the driver signals it’s safe to go, or the red flashing lights and stop arm are no longer active.

MPD urges all motorists to slow down and stay alert during school pickup and drop-off times to help keep students safe across Murfreesboro.

Divided Highway: When driving on a highway with separate roadways for traffic moving in opposite directions—divided by a median or a barrier that is not suitable for vehicular traffic—drivers are not required to stop for a stopped school bus on the opposite side but should proceed with caution.

However, a center turn lane in the middle of a four-lane highway is not considered a barrier, but rather a fifth lane suitable for vehicle traffic. Therefore, drivers traveling in both directions must stop when approaching a stopped school bus on this type of roadway.