CARROLLTON, GA – Governor Brian Kemp signed into law Friday a bill the Georgia General Assembly unanimously approved to reverse last year’s law change that stated drivers did not need to stop if they were meeting a school bus traveling in the opposite direction.

This is good news for student safety, said Carrollton City Schools Director of Transportation Alan Alford.

“This is a victory for our kids,” he said. “Any time we can eliminate the movement of cars around students loading and unloading buses, it creates a safer environment. Thanks to our legislators for understanding the difficult challenges our bus drivers face each day as we move about our community to serve kids.”

The new law will mirror the law as it was before last year’s revision, said Alford. If the highway is divided with a grass median or solid barrier (an example would be South Park Street), traffic does NOT have to stop for a school bus traveling in the opposite direction. If there is a divided highway or a highway divided by a turning lane (an example would be North Park Street), traffic moving in the direction opposite the school bus must stop.

“If you are moving in the SAME direction of the bus, you must always stop,” said Alford, noting this part of the law had not been affected by either legislative revision.

Senate Bill 25, introduced by Sen. Bill Health of Bremen, is immediately in effect with the governor’s signature and is now law.

CUTLINE

School buses prepare to pick up students for the ride home from Carrollton Junior High.