What are the consequences of failing to stop for a school bus with flashing lights?

When you fail to stop for a school bus with its flashing lights activated, you are committing a serious traffic violation that endangers the safety of children getting on and off the bus. The law is specifically designed to protect these vulnerable road users. As a result, the appropriate legal response involves imposing a fine as well as penalty points on your driver's license.

This consequence serves a dual purpose: it acts as a deterrent to prevent similar violations in the future and emphasizes the importance of adhering to traffic laws, particularly those that safeguard children. Penalty points also reflect the severity of the offense in your driving record, which can lead to further repercussions if you accumulate too many points.

In contrast, the other options such as receiving a verbal warning, having no consequences for a first offense, or facing only a temporary suspension of the driver's license are generally not applicable in this scenario, given the strict nature of the laws designed to protect the safety of schoolchildren. Thus, the imposition of fines and penalty points is essential to maintaining compliance and promoting safe driving behavior around school zones.