CHAPTER 399
MOTOR VEHICLES
RELATING TO IDENTIFICATION OF SCHOOL BUSES
AN ACT TO AMEND CHAPTER 165 OF THE REVISED CODE OF DELAWARE, 1935, BY PROVIDING FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF SCHOOL BUSSES AND FOR A DEVICE TO INDICATE WHEN A SCHOOL BUS IS STOPPED FOR THE PURPOSE OF RECEIVING OR DISCHARGING SCHOOL CHILDREN, PROVIDING FOR THE DUTY OF THE DRIVER OF A VEHICLE MEETING OR OVERTAKING A SCHOOL BUS, AND PROVIDING FOR THE ERECTION OF SIGNS BY THE STATE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Delaware in General Assembly met:
Section 1. That 5629 Sec. 91 of Chapter 165 of the Revised Code of Delaware, 1935, be and the same is hereby amended by striking out and repealing all of paragraphs (a) and (b) of said Section and enacting in lieu thereof the following:
(a) Every bus used for the transportation of school children shall be painted chrome yellow and shall bear upon the front and rear thereof a plainly visible sign containing the words "SCHOOL BUS--STOP--STATE LAW" in black letters not less than six inches in height. When a school bus is being operated upon a highway for purposes other than the transportation of children either to or from school, all markings thereon indicating "School Bus" shall be removed or concealed. Every such school bus shall also have attached thereto upon the left side thereof an extensible device or "arm," not less than eighteen inches long, plainly lettered with the word "STOP," in letters not less than twelve inches in length, capable of being extended from the side of the bus or retracted by the driver thereof. The driver of any school bus shall, whenever the said school bus is stopped upon any highway or public street in this State for the purpose of receiving or discharging any school child or school
children, extend the said "arm" so that the word "STOP" thereon shall be plainly visible to the operators of all motor vehicles approaching the said bus from either the front or the rear thereof.
(b) The operator of a motor vehicle upon any highway or public street in this State, upon meeting or overtaking any school bus stopped upon the said public highway or street for the purpose of receiving or discharging any school child or school children, if the "arm" hereinabove described shall be extended, shall stop and shall not pass the said school bus until the aforesaid "arm" shall have been retracted against the side of the bus.
Provided, that the operator of any motor vehicle proceeding upon one lane of a dual highway or street in this State shall not be required to stop as hereinabove provided upon meeting a school bus stopped upon the other lane of such dual highway or street for the purpose of receiving or discharging school children.
Section 2. The State Highway Department is hereby authorized and directed to erect signs upon the Highways of this State of sufficient size and in such locations as to make known to operators of motor vehicles in this State, and to the operators of motor vehicles entering this State from an adjoining State, the provisions of this Act with regard to the duty of the driver of a motor vehicle meeting or overtaking any school bus to stop when the "arm" described in Section 1 hereof shall be extended.
Approved July 1, 1949