Editors Note: This post was originally published on Oct. 21, 2024. It was updated on Dec. 18, 2025.

In honor of National School Bus Safety Week from Oct. 21-25 this year, we rounded up a list of what safety news, product advancements, new technologies, and stats have been unveiled so far this calendar year.

Speaking of, if you need some help encouraging your community members to do their part in keeping kids safe, download Verra Mobility's toolkit here. 

As we speak, First Student’s “Safety Dog” is touring U.S. schools to teach children the importance of safety as well!

Safety Stats

It’s never fun to report on accidents and incidents involving the big yellow bus, but the more we know, the better we can do.

Analyzing 10 years of NHTSA crash data, we learned that about 100 people are killed each year in school bus-related accidents. And according to NASDPTS’ survey this summer, illegal passing has gone up about 4% year over year.

SBF conducted its own poll in February, showing that over 70% of behavior issues on the bus involve middle school students.

Eleven school zones in Florida participated in a speed study, which clocked nearly 10,000 speeding violations in just three days.

The state of Kansas released its annual loading & unloading survey, which found that six children suffered fatal injuries in school-year 2023-24.

Regulations & Legislation

Earlier this year, the NHTSA unveiled new proposed regulations and safety standards for electric vehicles, including school buses. FMVSS No. 305a focuses on post-crash safety measures related to electrical systems, enhances documentation requirements for manufacturers to address changing battery technologies and designs, and guides for first responders with vital information for safe handling during emergencies.

The same organization proposed changes to vehicle seating standards through FMVSS No. 207 to protect occupants during collisions. However, they later clarified that this would not apply to school buses.

After a fatal accident in 2023, an Ohio task force provided 17 recommendations aimed at preventing future events. State agencies and lawmakers are working together to implement what they can.

In the spring, a new DoJ rule was proposed to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I to II, affecting school bus driver drug testing. The NTSB officially spoke out, expressing their concerns over the proposal about how it would affect those in safety-related positions. The public comment period closed in July, and now the DEA plans to hold a hearing on Dec. 2, 2024. It’s unknown what steps may happen after that or when this would potentially go into effect.

H.R. 8041 was introduced in April to make the pre-trip Under the Hood testing requirement exemption closer to reality. And in December, it did receive another two-year exemption from the FMCSA.

In New York, Executive Order 39 required telematics on all city vehicles, including school buses. Since last reported, excessive speeding in city vehicles has been reduced by 70%.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration proposed a new CDL rule, which would allow applicants to take a skills test in another state, let permit holders operator a school bus without a CDL-holder passenger, remove the 14-day wait time for the skills test, and require third-party examiners be subject to training, certification, and record check standards.

Finally, late in October, Congressman Steve Cohen reintroduced the School Bus Safety Act. Originally proposed in 2018 and after multiple attempts, it's back. It's noted to implement safety recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board, and would mandate installation of seat belts for every seat, stability control and automatic braking systems, and fire suppression systems. It would also create a grant program to help school districts modify their buses to implement the specifications.

Product Innovations

On Oct. 21, Zum announced an enhancement to its safety features via new tech-enabled driver communication tools. With the communication system, operations staff can send important information to drivers – whether about a road closure, early dismissal, student updates, or anything else. Messages are received via the driver tablet and not sent while routes are in progress. Unlike radio communication, this enables all drivers to receive the same information at the same time. The feature is being implemented in Zum’s partner school districts nationwide.

This fall, Blue Bird will begin equipping all new buses with three-point seat belts. The OEM also plans to equip drivers with a steering wheel-deployed airbag, add LED lighting inside and outside the bus, rear and front cameras, lighted stop arms and signs, and strobe lights, and add collision mitigation systems. 

Transportant and RWC Group are partnering to enhance safety by integrating the former’s system with the latter’s maintenance services.

Alternative transportation provider HopSkipDrive also announced several enhancements, including proactive ride intervention, location pins, enhanced rider information, greater timeliness, navigation alerts, and safety scorecards. It recently reduced turnaround time.

EverDriven also just released a new camera solution aimed at enhancing safety.

In July, Pro-Vision released the AlwaysSafe bus bundle, allowing school districts to choose how many video cameras they need to step up safety on the bus.

Safe Fleet (which was acquired in February) debuted a new AI technology called Stop Arm Violation Enforcement System (SAVES). This captures and processes stop-arm violations with an evidence package.

Camera adoption is on the rise, too, with more districts adding the safety tech to buses, such as BusPatrol’s newest order in New England. The company also recently hosted a teach-in in Virginia to teach safety practices.

Speaking of cameras, the NGO Together for Safer Roads, started the year with a new pilot in NYC, expanding its "Truck of the Future" program to include school buses. It brings new cameras and equipment to school buses to increase the field of vision and reduce blind spots.

Rewarding (and Funding)Safety

To recognize safe driving, NSTA put school bus drivers to the test in their annual School Bus Driver International Safety Competition in Austin, Texas. Nine people were celebrated for their skills in maneuvering either Type A, C, or D buses. Kansas held a similar event in June.

The FMCSA announced about $480 million in Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program grant awards to fund initiatives that prevent crashes, fatalities, and injuries involving commercial motor vehicles.

NSTA also held its 2024 awards, honoring multiple individuals for their commitment to safety, among other things. 

Although introduced in 2019, the NAPT’s “Zip. Zero. Nada. None.” campaign to encourage commitment to safer buses is ending soon, with a completion date of June 30, 2025. While (other) driver distraction is a serious issue, we hope that some day we can report that the number is quickly decreasing. 

Did we miss something? Let us know what safety stories resonated with you this year in the comments!