Motorists are going to be seeing a change when they approach certain school buses this coming school year.
Wisconsin law requires all drivers to stop at least 20 feet front or back from the bus and remain stopped until the red lights are turned off. Eagle River Police Chief Mark Vander Bloomen says buses now have an additional safety precaution....
"....school buses built after January, 2005 have to have amber lights. Everybody's used to seeing red flashing lights on the school bus.Now buses being used in the state of Wisconsin, the newer ones are going to have amber warning lights..The bus driver will put those amber warning lights on first. It gives the approaching drivers a caution that they're about to turn on those red flashing lights. When the red flashing lights come on, that's when drivers have to stop their vehicles...."
Chief Vander Bloomen says the amber lights will work like the yellow caution light at stoplights. Violating school bus warning light signals can cost motorists a fine of $326 dollars and four demerit points on their licenses.
