Tag Archives: driving

Stopping for School Buses

With some schools getting back in session and many new au pairs who have recently arrived, I wanted to remind everyone about what to do in different situations with school buses. If you have questions, please ask your counselor or your host parents.

The rules regarding stopping for school buses are:

  • It is against the law to pass a stopped school bus while its lights are flashing and its’ stop arm is extended.
  • On undivided roadways, with no physical barrier or median, vehicles must stop on both sides of the roadway.
  • Yellow flashing lights indicate that the bus is preparing to load or unload children. Motorists should slow down and prepare to stop their vehicles.
  • Red flashing lights and extended stop arms indicate that the bus has stopped, and children are getting on or off. Motorists approaching from either direction must wait until the red lights stop flashing before proceeding.

Driving-Do you have your state driver's license?

Links to the Department of Motor Vehicles for all states can be found here.

http://aupairinamerica.com/state/index.asp

A US driver’s license is a requirement in some states and it makes a great souvenir!
Illinois does not accept the International Driving Permit.  Once you have your Social Security card, your next adventure is to go to the Department of Motor Vehicles closest to you.

~Drivers moving to Illinois may use their valid driver’s license from their home state or country for 90 days.  There are two parts to getting an Illinois drivers license.  The written test and a road test.  If you are from Germany or France you do not need to take the tests, call your community counselor to get details of what you need to do.  If you have a car accident, you can be asked to pay a deductible of up to $500.  Parking tickets are expensive and are you pay for them, so pay attention to parking restrictions.

Bring your DS 2019, passport, Social Security card, two pieces of mail showing your  address (use the envelope with your Social Security card and mail yourself a letter) driver’s license from your home country and all papers you have received from APIA that have your name on them.