A new 2025-2026 school year survey from Verra Mobility, issued via Pollfish, reveals that parents and caregivers of school-aged students overwhelmingly support the use of automated enforcement to improve student safety, according to a company press release.

The survey included 2,000 parents or caretakers of children who walk, drive, are driven, or take transportation to school, and revealed that many respondents have witnessed near-miss incidents where a student was almost hit in a school zone or near a school bus.

The data illustrates parents' desire for action, with the survey showing that:

• 82% support safety cameras to monitor and penalize drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses.

• 70% of respondents favor automated enforcement in school zones.

• 43% have observed a "near miss" in a school zone.

• 33% have seen a "near miss" surrounding a stopped school bus.

Automated enforcement programs have long been proven effective. Verra Mobility program data shows that school bus stop-arm programs have experienced as much as a 50% reduction in violations within just two months of launching. As programs continue, 98% of drivers who receive one stop-arm violation don't receive a second.

Similar success has been experienced with school zone speed safety programs, where programs have experienced a 94% reduction in speeding at speed camera locations.  

"Parents, educators, and communities share the same priority – keeping students safe," said David Dorfman, senior vice president, Verra Mobility. "With a large majority of parents supporting automated enforcement in school zones and for school bus stop-arm enforcement, technology offers a proven way to change dangerous driving behaviors and prevent tragedies."

This data comes as cities and counties across the U.S. are utilizing technology to make a difference. During the 2024-2025 school year, Verra Mobility launched 13 new school zone speed programs, from Memphis to Poulsbo, Washington, to deter dangerous driving and protect students.

This trend also reflects concerns from educators and school administrators, with 38% of public-school officials moderately or strongly agreeing that traffic patterns around their schools pose a threat to students' physical safety during their commute. To combat this, parents are advocating for a holistic safety approach with physical and policy-based improvements such as speed bumps, more crossing guards, better signage, and traffic signals.