GEORGIA, USA — As metro Atlanta schools prepare to return from summer break, you may want to familiarize yourself with one of the nation's most strict school bus laws.
Georgia's new state law is known as Addy’s Law, named to honor 8-year-old Adalynn Pierce, a girl who was hit by a car and killed in McDonough while crossing the road to get on her school bus on the morning of Feb. 1. Lawmakers quadrupled the minimum traffic fine to deter motorists from illegally passing school buses that are about to board or discharge school children.
The fine now stands at $1,000 if you are caught illegally passing a school bus with its lights on, which ties with Utah as one of the toughest in the nation. 11Alive found most states had minimum fines below $400.
According to the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety, the fine could also result in jail time of up to 12 months and six points on your driver's license.
The law also applies to fines that can be levied based on evidence from school bus cameras — another reason to be very careful driving around school buses.
What to know
If you are on a two-lane and a school bus stop, vehicles traveling in both directions must stop. The same goes for drivers driving on a multiple-lane paved road.
The only exception is if there is a divided highway. In that case, vehicles behind the bust must stop. Vehicles traveling in the opposite direction should proceed with caution.
Here's a graphic from the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety for a better visual.
