Ontario School Bus Stopping Rules
Study when to stop for school buses in Ontario, the 20-metre rule from behind and the median exception for opposite-direction traffic.
Amber means prepare.
A school bus using its overhead amber lights is preparing to stop for passengers. Slow down and prepare to stop when approaching it; the median exception below applies to opposite-direction traffic. When the bus is stopped with overhead red lights flashing or its stop arm activated, the stopping requirement applies.
Leave room behind the bus.
If you approach that stopped bus from behind, stop at least 20 metres away. Extra lanes or a median separating the opposite direction do not remove this requirement. If you face the bus on an undivided road, stop at a safe distance that lets children cross and get on or off.
Know what counts as a median.
Opposite-direction traffic on the other side of a median does not have to stop. A median is a constructed separation that vehicles are not intended to cross, such as a physical barrier or a raised or depressed separation area. Painted centre lines alone do not create that exception. Traffic travelling in the bus’s direction still stops.
Keep checking for children.
The stopping law applies on highways and local streets, whether or not a school is nearby. Not seeing a child does not remove the requirement. Read the official page’s complete stopping and restart instructions, and check carefully for children before moving again.