08/11/2026
Before school starts next week, ensure any drivers in your household are familiar with school zone locations, what to do when a crossing guard enters the roadway, and what to do when a school bus extends their stop sign.
Drivers can't be distracted by passengers, pets, music, or phones and need to look out for children walking and biking.
South Dakota Codified Laws relating to school:
32-25-14. Speed limit in school zones--Violation as misdemeanor.
When passing a school during a school recess or while children are going to or leaving school during the opening or closing hours, the maximum lawful speed shall be fifteen miles per hour.
32-27-1. Yielding right-of-way to pedestrian making proper crossing--Regulated intersections--Violation as petty offense.
The driver of any vehicle upon a highway within a business or residence district shall yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the highway within any clearly marked crosswalk or any regular pedestrian crossing included in the prolongation of the lateral boundary lines of the adjacent sidewalk at the end of a block, except at intersections where the movement of traffic is being regulated by traffic officers or traffic direction devices. However, no pedestrian may suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle which is so close as to constitute an immediate hazard.
32-32-6. Amber or red signal--Motorist duty to slow or stop--Exception--Penalty.
The operator of a motor vehicle on a highway that has less than two lanes of travel in each direction, or on a private road, when approaching a school bus that has its amber warning lights flashing, shall reduce the speed of the vehicle to fifteen miles per hour or less and proceed past the school bus with caution. The operator of a motor vehicle approaching a school bus that has its red signal lights flashing shall make a complete stop. The stopped vehicle must be at least fifteen feet from the school bus and must remain stopped until the flashing red signal lights are extinguished. A lane that is designated solely for the purpose of turning is not considered a lane of travel for purposes of this section.
The operator of a motor vehicle on a highway providing two or more lanes of travel in each direction does not need to reduce the speed of the vehicle when approaching a school bus that is traveling in the opposite direction if the school bus has its amber warning lights flashing. The operator of a motor vehicle on a highway providing two or more lanes of travel in each direction does not need to stop when approaching a school bus that is traveling in the opposite direction even though the school bus is stopped and has its red signal lights flashing.
The operator of a motor vehicle on a highway providing two or more lanes of travel in each direction, when approaching a school bus that is traveling in the same direction and has its amber warning lights flashing, shall reduce the speed of the vehicle to fifteen miles per hour or less and proceed past the school bus with caution. The operator of a motor vehicle on a highway providing two or more lanes of travel in each direction must make a complete stop when approaching a school bus traveling in the same direction if the school bus is stopped and its red signal lights are flashing.
