Final answer:
Vehicles must generally stop at least 20 to 25 feet away from a school bus with flashing red lights to ensure the safety of students. This is a legal requirement and local laws should be consulted for specific details as they can vary by state. Unlike in some emergency situations, there are usually no exceptions for bypassing a stopped school bus due to the high risk to students.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a school bus has flashing red lights activated, it indicates that the bus is stopped to either pick up or drop off students, and it is mandatory for approaching vehicles to stop as well. While the specific distance required to stop from a school bus with flashing red lights can vary by jurisdiction, a common requirement is that vehicles must stop at least 20 to 25 feet away from the bus. This ensures the safety of students as they enter or exit the bus, providing enough space for them to cross the road if necessary. It's important to know your local laws, as different states may have slightly different stopping distance requirements, and some may require you to stop even if the bus is on the opposite side of the road.
In emergency situations, like the one described where a pregnant woman is about to give birth in a vehicle, some jurisdictions may have provisions for proceeding carefully through a red light when there are no other cars around. However, when it comes to a stopped school bus with flashing red lights, no such exceptions are generally made due to the high risk it would pose to student safety.