Dashcam footage showing a vehicle passing a stopped school bus in New Jersey
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NEED TO KNOW
- A dashcam video captured a car passing a stopped school bus in New Jersey
- The clip shows the bus switching from yellow warning lights to red stop lights moments before the pass
- Viewers flooded the comments to discuss road laws and driver responsibility
A tense road moment caught on camera is prompting fresh conversation about school bus safety — and when drivers are legally required to stop.
In dashcam footage shared via ViralHog and filmed in New Jersey on Feb. 18, a driver can be seen stopped behind a school bus that has activated its yellow flashing lights, signaling it is preparing to stop.
According to the person who recorded the video, both vehicles initially halted as the bus slowed.
“Just a short 10 or so seconds later, it turned on its red lights, swung out its stop arm, and there was a surprise vehicle that went around me and the stopped bus,” the filmer said in information provided with the clip.
The video shows a second school bus overtaking the stopped car and passing the bus at the moment its red lights and stop arm are deployed — the point at which traffic in both directions is typically required to stop in many jurisdictions.
The brief clip quickly circulated online, where viewers debated both the driver’s decision and broader road-rule awareness.
“He crosses a double yellow line AND passes a school bus with lights flashing…… fire this bad driver!!!!!” one commenter wrote.
Another questioned enforcement rather than the passing driver: “DID THE SCHOOL BUS DRIVER GET A TICKET????”
While specific laws vary by state, school buses in the U.S. generally use yellow flashing lights to warn that they are preparing to stop, followed by red lights and an extended stop arm to indicate that children may be boarding or exiting and that surrounding traffic must halt. In New Jersey, drivers must stop no less than 25 feet from a stopped school bus with flashing red lights.
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The video does not show whether children were present or whether authorities responded, but the moment has resonated with viewers as a reminder of how quickly routine traffic situations can shift — and how crucial awareness can be around school transportation.
PEOPLE has reached out to the New Jersey Department of Transportation for comment.
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