Passing a school bus with its stop arm extended is against the law in every state, yet the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDTPS) estimated that more than 39 million illegal school bus passings occurred last school year alone.   

Despite this, school buses remain one of the safest ways for students to get to and from school. The moments when students board and depart the bus — and the 10-foot area surrounding the bus — are the most dangerous, especially when drivers do not stop to allow children to safely reach the sidewalk. During the 2023-2024 school year alone,three deaths resulted from drivers unlawfully passing a stopped school bus, highlighting how devastating these incidents can be.

According to a 2024 survey, more than 10% of people attribute illegal school bus passing to distracted driving; however, with a recent report showing that nearly half of parents have witnessed distracted driving near a school zone or school bus, it’s likely the number of illegal passing incidents due to distracted driving is even higher.

The new data comes from a Verra Mobility survey of parents and caregivers conducted earlier this school year, which found that respondents regularly see distracted driving behaviors while children are traveling to and from school. Fifty-six percent reported seeing drivers speeding, 53% observed drivers talking on the phone while driving, and 43% witnessed drivers texting and driving.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that 3,208 lives were lost, and more than 300,000 people were injured in 2024 due to distracted driving. It makes sense when you consider that sending or reading a single text is equivalent to driving the length of a football field blindfolded when traveling 55 miles per hour.

With so many distractions — especially during busy commute times when students are traveling to and from school — it’s not surprising that many drivers are making dangerous and potentially life-threatening mistakes on the road.  However, it is entirely preventable.

Thirty-six percent of parents surveyed said they’d seen a driver pass a stopped school bus with its stop arm extended, and even more alarming, nearly one-third reported witnessing a near-miss incident near a school bus.

Drivers must take extra precautions when driving near school buses, especially when data shows children, who are often still learning how to navigate roads safely, are distracted themselves. Just a few moments of distraction can increase the risk of a tragedy when students are getting on and off the bus.

Two of the most effective ways to combat this problem are awareness and enforcement. In some cases, drivers simply don’t know the law. The survey analyzing why people don’t stop for school buses reported that 24.3% of respondents believed violators didn’t know when they had to stop for a school bus. 

Additionally, many people are unaware of the dangers of distracted driving, or there’s a disconnect between how drivers view their own behavior and what they observe on the road. For example, research indicates that most drivers regularly engage in at least one unsafe driving behavior, yet a 2025 Verra Mobility survey found that 65% of respondents claimed they had not engaged in any distracted driving behaviors over the last year.

Ensuring drivers are aware that they must always stop for a school bus with its stop arm extended, and that they are informed about the dangers and prevalence of distracted driving, can go a long way. While many drivers think sending a quick text, looking for something in their vehicle, or failing to carefully watch their speed are harmless behaviors, learning about the devastating consequences of even a few moments without full attention on the road is impactful.

In addition, consistent enforcement is proven to effectively change driver behavior. Automated enforcement ensures that those illegally passing school buses are ticketed each time they violate the law,  increasing compliance and improving road safety. In fact, we see that when stop-arm enforcement programs are used, 98% of violators do not re-offend.

Enforcement programs also provide communities with valuable data that can further improve road safety. Stop-arm cameras can help identify where most violations occur, allowing cities to install data-backed infrastructure improvements, such as flashing crosswalk signs, speed identification signs, and speed bumps. Data can also be used to make bus routing adjustments and to aid law enforcement in prioritizing enforcement areas.

Children are our most vulnerable road users, and they deserve to travel to and from school safely. Because of this, 82% of parents and caregivers support automated enforcement for school bus stop-arm programs.

Staying up to date on local traffic laws and keeping your eyes on the road while driving are among the easiest ways to help make roads safer for everyone — especially children — and to avoid illegally passing a school bus.

About the Author: Matt Reich is a school bus safety advocate and mobility solutions expert with more than 20 years of experience in sales and business development. He works closely with educational institutions to improve school transportation safety, compliance, and operational efficiency through innovative school bus enforcement technologies.