MN Bill Would Require New School Buses To Have 6-Foot Stop Sign Arm

ST. PAUL, MN — A fear that many parents have when it comes time to send their children off to school is their safety getting on and off the bus.

The fear is well-founded. From 2017 to 2021, officers cited 4,652 drivers in Minnesota for stop arm violations, according to the state Department of Safety.

A school bus was hit during a stop earlier this month in the north metro.

A bill introduced by state Sen. Rich Draheim seeks to further deter motorists from driving around a stopped school bus. Senate File 241 would require all newly purchased school buses to have an extended stop sign arm, a new piece of equipment now on the market.

Currently, all school buses have stop signs that pop out about 18 inches when a child is entering or exiting the school bus. But under Draheim's bill, buses would be equipped with stop signs that swing out on a six-foot-long arm.

Draheim presented his bill to the Senate Transportation Committee last week. He said that the extended arm takes about four seconds to pop out, while the standard 18-inch arm takes about two seconds.

Draheim mentioned that when snow-covered streets become narrower in the winter months, the extended arm might not work at some bus stops. For this reason, his bill would still require the small arm in addition to the newer extended arm.

Committee chair Sen. Scott Dibble was receptive to the bill. Ultimately, S.F. 241 was laid over and will be voted on in a future committee meeting.