§ 70-483. Operation of motor vehicle in proximity to a stopped school bus.

(a)

The driver of a vehicle upon a highway, upon meeting or overtaking from either direction any school bus which has stopped on the highway for the purpose of receiving or discharging any schoolchildren and whose driver has, in the manner prescribed by law, given the signal to stop, shall stop the vehicle before reaching such school bus and shall not proceed until such school bus resumes motion, or until signaled by its driver to proceed.

(b)

Every bus used for the transportation of schoolchildren shall bear upon the front and rear thereon a plainly visible sign containing the words "school bus" in letters not less than eight inches in height. Each bus shall have lettered on the rear in plain and distinct type the following: "State Law: Stop while bus is loading and unloading." Each school bus subject to the provisions of RSMo 304.050—304.070 shall be equipped with a mechanical and electrical signaling device, which will display a signal plainly visible from the front and rear indicating intention to stop.

(c)

No driver of a school bus shall take on or discharge passengers at any location upon a highway consisting of four or more lanes of traffic, whether or not divided by a median or barrier, in such manner as to require the passengers to cross more than two lanes of traffic; nor shall he take on or discharge passengers while the vehicle is upon the road or highway proper unless the vehicle so stopped is plainly visible for at least 300 feet in each direction to drivers of other vehicles upon the highway and then only for such time as is actually necessary.

(d)

The driver of a vehicle upon a highway with separate roadways need not stop upon meeting or overtaking a school bus which is on a different roadway, which is proceeding in the opposite direction on a highway containing four or more lanes of traffic, or which is stopped in a loading zone constituting a part of, or adjacent to, a limited access or controlled access highway at a point where pedestrians are not permitted to cross the roadway.

(e)

The driver of any school bus driving upon the highways of this state, after loading or unloading schoolchildren, should remain stopped if the bus is followed by three or more vehicles, until such vehicles have been permitted to pass the school bus, if the conditions prevailing make it safe to do so.

(f)

Except as provided in subsection (g) of this section, if any vehicle is witnessed by a peace officer or the driver of a school bus to have violated the provisions of this section and the identity of the operator is not otherwise apparent, it shall be a rebuttable presumption that the owner or person in whose name such vehicle is registered in the records of any city, county or state committed the violation. Notwithstanding the provisions in RSMo 301.130, every school bus shall be required to have two license plates. If charges are filed against multiple owners of a motor vehicle, only one of the owners may be convicted and court costs may be assessed against only one of the owners. Proof of the ownership as described in this section shall be prima facie evidence that the vehicle with the unidentified driver was being operated with permission of the owner.

(g)

If the vehicle which is involved in the violation is registered in the name of a rental or leasing company and the vehicle is rented or leased to another person at the time of the violation, the rental or leasing company may rebut the presumption by providing the peace officer or prosecuting authority with a copy of the rental or lease agreement in effect at the time of the violation. No prosecuting authority may bring any legal proceedings against a rental or leasing company under this section unless prior written notice of the violation has been given to that rental or leasing company by registered mail at the address appearing on the registration and the rental or leasing company has failed to provide the rental or lease agreement copy within 15 days of receipt of such notice.

(Code of Gen. Ords. 1967, § 34.125; Ord. No. 41525, 10-20-72; Ord. No. 56381, 8-16-84; Ord. No. 58815, 12-27-85)

State law reference

Similar provisions, RSMo 304.050.