You just got a letter that says you were cited for passing a stopped school bus, and now you are trying to figure out whether this was just another traffic ticket or something more serious. It means a driver went around or past a school bus while the bus was stopped to load or unload children and its stop signal or warning lights required traffic to stop. The rule exists because kids may cross the road suddenly, often in places where sight lines are poor or traffic is tight.

In practical terms, this can bring fines, points, and a mark on your driving record, but the bigger issue is safety. On narrow two-lane roads, including stretches like US-23 in Pike County where large trucks already make passing risky, going around a stopped bus can create a split-second hazard with life-changing consequences. Bad weather, including Kentucky ice storms that leave roads slick or partly blocked, can make the situation even more dangerous.

For an injury claim, a citation for this offense can become strong evidence of negligence and may support a negligence per se argument if someone was hurt. In Kentucky, the duty to stop for a school bus is addressed in Kentucky Revised Statutes KRS 189.370 (2024). If a child, parent, or another driver is injured after a bus-passing violation, that citation may affect liability, insurance negotiations, and the value of a personal injury claim.