Panic button alerts students to passing cars
With a new feature from Transportation Safety Products, the school bus driver can push a button if vehicles pass beyond a certain point while the bus is stopped to load or unload students. The button activates an audible warning and emergency strobe lights to alert children of the danger.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Transportation Safety Products Inc. will roll out a new school bus safety feature to alert students if a vehicle is attempting to pass the bus.
The new feature, which is designed to work in conjunction with the Child Safety Alarm System, will be introduced at the NAPT Summit later this month.
The feature includes a panic button that the school bus driver can push if vehicles pass beyond a certain point while the bus is stopped to load or unload students. The panic button activates an audible warning and emergency strobe lights. The audible warning can be programmed with a message that will warn the child of an approaching vehicle.
The feature works with the Child Safety Alarm System, which talks to and alerts children when the bus is getting ready to move. It can be programmed in any language or message devised by the school district.
Company officials said that the system, along with the panic button feature, is simple to install and cost effective for equipping an entire fleet of school buses.
The Child Safety Alarm System has been in operation on school buses at Columbus (Ohio) City Schools and in South Carolina for many years, as well as at various other districts around the country.
Transportation Safety Products was founded in 1992 by Dean Rose, a former school bus mechanic with Columbus City Schools who developed the Child Safety Alarm System.
More Safety
Are Autonomous Vehicles Ready to Safely Navigate School Bus Stops?
NHTSA is accelerating autonomous vehicle deployment through new safety standards and commercial approvals. See why school transportation leaders are watching.
Read More →
NFL Star Lomas Brown Kicks Off New Illegal School Bus Passing PSA
Just in time for the back-to-school season, the former Detroit Lions offensive tackle took time to record a video encouraging motorists to slow down around school buses.
Read More →
How Two Texas Districts Built Award-Winning Safety Programs
Learn how Prosper ISD and Rockwall ISD earned National Safety Council honors through hands-on training, safety culture, and strategies that reduced transportation incidents.
Read More →
NHTSA Releases 10-Year Review of Fatal School Bus Crashes
The latest federal analysis reinforces the safety of school buses while identifying where school-age pedestrians and other motorists remain most at risk.
Read More →
2026 NASDPTS Survey: Data Shows Further Reduction of Illegal Passing
New data is in! School bus stop-arm passings are down to 38.4 million violations per year, about a 2.3% decrease from last school year — but passings on the right side of the bus are higher than ever.
Read More →
Another School Bus Fatality Reported in Monsey, New York
A 7-year-old girl died after being struck by a school bus in Rockland County, New York while crossing the street. Here's what we know.
Read More →
NSTA Announces 2026 School Bus Driver International Safety Competition Winners
Drivers from across the U.S. and Canada showcased their safety and driving skills, with two defending champions successfully retaining their titles.
Read More →
The Driver Shortage Playbook
Driver shortages are still a major challenge for student transportation fleets, but the real issue has shifted. It’s no longer just about filling seats quickly. It’s about finding safe, reliable drivers who meet performance expectations and want to stay. The Driver Shortage Playbook covers why traditional recruitment tactics are falling short and how school fleets are adapting with smarter hiring, stronger retention strategies and a greater focus on driver quality.
Read More →
Pro-Vision Launches AI-Powered 360° Camera System
The new Birdseye camera delivers real-time AI-based pedestrian and vehicle detections, full visibility around the bus, and telematics integrations.
Read More →
N.Y. & N.J. Coalitions Call for Modernized Transportation for Vulnerable Students
New statewide coalitions in New York and New Jersey are urging lawmakers to expand student transportation options for vulnerable students amid ongoing driver shortages.
Read More →