Thomas Built Buses announced today that it has selected Bryan County Schools in Georgia as the recipient of proceeds from its recent ‘If You Pass’ school bus safety awareness campaign. The contribution will support the district’s ongoing work to reduce illegal school bus passings and improve roadway safety for students.

Launched during National School Bus Safety Week, the campaign confronted the ongoing issue of illegal school bus passings, an offense that occurs an estimated 39.3 million times each school year, according to National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS).

Rather than softening the message, the campaign opted for a direct, no-nonsense approach to school bus safety — If You Pass.

Through bold social messaging and a limited-edition merchandise collection, the campaign caught the attention of drivers, educators and families nationwide, helping push the issue into the public conversation. This reinforced the responsibility to stop and gave communities a way to actively participate in school bus safety advocacy.

Supporters purchased items from the collection, with all net proceeds dedicated to supporting school bus and driver safety education efforts. Supporters were also encouraged to nominate districts in their communities to receive campaign funds.

Of the districts nominated by supporters, Bryan County Schools received the most recognition, and was selected as the recipient of the campaign proceeds.

“Illegal passings are one of the most preventable dangers students face every day, and yet they keep happening,” said Mario DiFoggio, general manager of dealer channel sales and marketing for Thomas Built Buses. “The ‘If You Pass’ campaign was intentionally direct, because politeness doesn’t stop traffic — awareness does. For a short, three-week campaign, the response exceeded our expectations, and we know these funds will go a long way in supporting the important work Bryan County Schools is doing to protect students and keep this conversation going.”

Thomas Built Buses said it will continue to collaborate with school districts, transportation departments and industry partners to advance student safety and encourage responsible driver behavior nationwide.