AG Hill issues opinion on liability of extended school bus arm

Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill issued an opinion at the end of June regarding who is liable if a driver hits an extended school bus arm.

A typical school bus arm is 18-inches long when extended. An extended school bus arm can be as long as 4.5 to 6.5 feet.

The chair of the Indiana State School Bus Committee and the Director of Transportation asked AG Hill for an opinion on who would be liable if the extended school bus arm was hit by a motor vehicle.

Because Indiana law prohibits drivers from passing a school bus in either direction while the arm signal device is extended, the driver would be responsible for any property damage or personal injury, Hill wrote.