MANCHESTER, Ky. — When Clay County students return to school Thursday, Aug. 13, motorists will need to pay closer attention when approaching a stopped school bus — especially on multilane highways.
A new Kentucky law changes the rules governing when motorists traveling in the opposite direction of a school bus must stop when the bus is loading or unloading students.
The change to KRS 189.370 was approved by the Kentucky General Assembly earlier this year as part of House Bill 7, a broader school bus safety measure signed into law April 9. The law requires motorists approaching a stopped school or church bus from any direction to stop when its stop arm and signal lights are activated unless a specific exception applies.
For Clay County Superintendent William Sexton, the message to motorists is simple: Know the law, slow down and protect children.
“Nothing we do is more important than making sure our children arrive at school safely and return home safely each afternoon,” Sexton said. “When you see those flashing red lights and that stop arm come out, there is a child getting on or off that bus. A few seconds of patience from a driver can prevent a tragedy that could affect a family and our entire community forever.”
The most significant change involves highways with multiple lanes.
Under the amended law, motorists traveling in the opposite direction of a stopped school bus must stop unless they are on a highway with four or more lanes that is divided by an elevated barrier or an unpaved median.
That means a paved center turn lane does not qualify for the exception.
On a four-lane or larger highway without a raised barrier or unpaved median separating opposing traffic, vehicles traveling in both directions must stop when a school bus has its stop arm and signal lights activated.
The Kentucky Department of Education specifically addressed the change in its 2026 legislative guidance, saying the exception for opposite-direction traffic applies on a highway of four or more lanes when it is divided by an elevated barrier or unpaved median.
Clay County Transportation Director Travis Fields said motorists should become familiar with the change before school buses return to the roads Aug. 13.
“We want drivers to understand that just because you are traveling in the opposite direction from the school bus does not necessarily mean you can keep going,” Fields said. “If there is not a raised barrier or an unpaved median separating you from that bus, you need to stop. We want everyone to learn the new law now so there isn't any confusion when our buses are back on the road.”
The rule can be broken down this way:
On a two-lane highway: Traffic traveling in both directions must stop.
On a three-lane highway: Traffic traveling in both directions must stop.
On a four-lane or larger highway without a raised barrier or unpaved median: Traffic traveling in both directions must stop.
On a four-lane or larger highway with a paved center turn lane: Traffic traveling in both directions must stop.
On a four-lane or larger highway divided by a raised barrier or unpaved median: Traffic behind or traveling in the same direction as the bus must stop. Traffic on the opposite side of the divided highway may proceed.
In every situation where motorists are required to stop, the law says they may not proceed until the bus has completed receiving or discharging passengers and has been put into motion.
The change is part of a larger effort by Kentucky lawmakers to crack down on motorists who illegally pass stopped school buses.
House Bill 7 also authorizes Kentucky school districts to use camera monitoring systems on school buses to document stop-arm violations and provides a mechanism for civil penalties against vehicle owners when violations are captured by an authorized system. The legislation also amended Kentucky law concerning maximum fines for failing to stop for a school or church bus receiving or discharging passengers.
Fields said school bus safety requires cooperation between bus drivers, students, parents and motorists.
“Our drivers are responsible for transporting some of the most precious cargo there is — our children,” Fields said. “But they can't do it alone. We need every driver on the highway to pay attention, put the phone down, watch for school buses and be prepared to stop.”
The beginning and end of the school day are particularly important because children may have to cross a roadway after exiting a bus. A motorist who attempts to pass a stopped bus may encounter a child with little warning.
Sexton said the district hopes educating the public about the new law before the first day of school will prevent violations rather than simply punish motorists afterward.
“This isn't about trying to catch someone doing something wrong,” Sexton said. “It's about preventing someone from making a mistake that could cost a child his or her life. We are asking everyone in Clay County to help us make safety the top priority as we begin another school year.”
The 2026-27 school year begins for Clay County students on Thursday, Aug. 13.
With buses once again traveling throughout Manchester and Clay County that morning, school officials are asking motorists to allow extra travel time, watch for children at bus stops and remember one basic rule:
When the red lights are flashing and the stop arm is out, stop — unless you are traveling in the opposite direction on a highway of four or more lanes that is physically divided by a raised barrier or unpaved median.
For school officials, those few extra seconds behind the wheel are a small price to pay for getting every Clay County student safely to school and safely back home.
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