Who should stop for a school bus in this situation?

Stop. All lanes, all directions. If the lights are flashing and the arm out, on a 4-lane without a divider, you have to stop.

In my county, not stopping in that situation is a $500 ticket and a bunch of points on your license.

Stop. This not even debatable. That is why the stop arm has a stop sign on both sides, facing both directions.

Here, if there are 5 lanes, with middle as a turning lane, you don’t have to stop. If there is a median divider you don’t have to stop. Book says you don’t have to stop in opposite direction AT ALL if there are 4 lanes. Period! I think book is wrong, and why I asked question. Past research on my part says you must stop in situation I described.

I would stop in the situation you described, I knew if there is a median divider you don’t have to, sad to say I was unaware of the middle turn lane thing.

New York State law: It seems there’s no debate. Minimum 250 dollars, maximum 1000 dollars. Three violations within three years, mandatory revocation of license for six months. This is what I found:
http://dmv.ny.gov/about-dmv/chapter-6-passing

In Oregon, it’s illegal for you not to stop. It would be a huge ticket if a cop saw you drive when the stop sign was out and the lights on it are flashing.

Where do you live @kritiper ?

@kritiper: Can you link the book?

I see that @kritiper lives in Idaho. Law says if you’re in opposite direction and there are more than 3 lanes, you don’t have to stop (Idaho law). I googled it.

STOP. No doubt about it!

@jca When you googled it, did it show the Idaho Driver’s Handbook? Did you see the diagram shown in the book? It shows a 4 lane road divided by what appears to be a green (and possibly curbed) median strip. Nothing else. Also, on the front of the book, it says that the book is not the final answer concerning the law, only Idaho code is. And I think the book is wrong because it doesn’t show or describe the road configuration I described in my question.

When I see a school bus with the lights flashing I freak out and stop no matter what. If I’m not sure I just pull over to the side of the road and stop. I don’t proceed until it drives away.

See this link

Georgia law – STOP

It’s like encountering a bear in the wild. Stop. Give it plenty of space. Back away slowly. If it attacks, play dead.

NY law is very strict on this topic but even if it weren’t, I’d stop anyway. If you hit a kid, your problems are going to be worse than just some irate drivers behind you looking to pass.

I totally agree with you @jca, 4 lane or whatever if there isn’t a divided median separating you from the bus and he has his lights on,best just to stop, not worth running over one of those kids who you know isn’t looking out for traffic.
To school bus drivers credit I have seen in situations like that,the driver will only stop traffic behind him/her and not bother with on coming traffic especially if the little dears are not crossing the road to get home.

Absolutely stop! Always err on the side of caution with a school bus, always. Too bad for the driver behind you. If you’re leading the parade the rest get to follow your lead, like it or not.
I JUST had some weenie get all pissed off behind me, coming up our 2 lane road here, speed limit 35mph, about 20 minutes ago because I braked and stopped for several Turkey Vultures eating a roadkill possum in the middle of the lane. Their were several other birds flying low and erratically and I didn’t want one to hit my car. Too effing bad dude, you feel free to have some 10 pound bird come through your windshield.

Stop unless you’re in Germany. I guess kids look both ways there.

Every state I’ve ever lived in both lanes of traffic have to stop. Some state I lived in specified a median must be over four feet wide to cause opposite traffic to be required to stop. I don’t remember which one.

There are states that you don’t have to stop in the situation you described.

There also are some laws on the books (varies by state) that 6 or more lanes (3 each way) drivers on the opposite side don’t stop. In some states a 4 lane (2 each way) with turning lanes the driver in the opposite side doesn’t stop.

You need to know the laws of your state. If you drive across state lines I say err on the side of stopping, but it can be a hazard if the law is not to stop. This is one of the problems we live with having the laws vary.

What state or country are you in?

I found this that talks about the various laws.

Thanks to all for you valuable input!
Having now consulted actual Idaho code, here is what it says:
3 lanes or less, all traffic must stop. 4 lanes or more, opposing traffic does NOT have to stop.

Great! Now you know the actual law for where you are. Laws vary so much from stopping for a school bus to turning your lights on in the rain.