The majority of children injured or killed on school buses and other student transportation vehicles are not injured or killed on the bus, but outside the bus. They are hurt or killed in the “Death Zone” which is the area immediately in front of or around the bus. Most are struck by motorists who fail to stop for the flashing red lights and extended stop signs.
The Law: In Massachusetts, all lanes of traffic in both directions must stop when a school bus is stopped to pick up or drop off kids while traveling along a two-lane road. How do you tell the difference between stopped and stopped to pick up kids? RED LIGHTS ARE FLASHING!!!
The only exception to this law is if a school bus has stopped on the other side of a divided highway with a barrier between travel directions. In this case, you do not have to stop.
Even fire trucks, police cars and ambulances with their sirens on have to stop until the passengers have been loaded or unloaded. (MGL 89-7B)