Illinois to Have Higher Fines for Illegally Passing School Buses
Soon school buses will be hitting streets in the Stateline once again, and starting this coming January, if you pass one illegally, get ready to pay a heftier fine.
In 2020, a new law will take effect that raises the fines for illegally passing school buses. On the first offense of illegal passing, the driver will receive a $300 fine. This fine is double the previous amount. A second offense will lead to a fine of $1000 instead of the original $500.
Anyone convicted of passing a stopped school bus will lose their driver’s license for at least three months.
Just so we're clear, Illinois law states:
The driver of a vehicle shall stop such vehicle before meeting or overtaking, from either direction, any school bus stopped on a highway, roadway, private road, parking lot, school property, or at any other location, including, without limitation, a location that is not a highway or roadway for the purpose of receiving or discharging pupils.
Maybe this diagram the Rockton Fire Protection District shared on Facebook last year will help you understand the law a little bit better...
Now that you know the law, there are no excuses....stop for school buses and keep everyone safe!