Every day, millions of kids count on the school bus to get them to and from school safely. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, school buses travel more than four billion miles a year across the country to make that happen.
But here’s the catch: drivers don’t always stop when they should. The National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services estimates there were 45.2 million illegal school bus passings in 2024, up from 43.5 million the year before.
It’s a serious problem, and it’s only getting worse.
So, how do we stop this dangerous behavior? Stop-arm enforcement is one way school districts are taking action. But does it actually work? Let’s take a look.
Before we dive in, it’s important to note: stop-arm enforcement cameras are not a silver bullet. Programs like BusPatrol’s work best when they’re part of a broader, community-wide approach to school transportation safety. That includes traditional enforcement, public education, infrastructure planning, and more. Our goal is to complement, not replace, these efforts and give school districts the tools and data they need to drive meaningful, lasting change.
How do stop-arm enforcement programs work?
Keeping kids safe on their way to and from school is a shared responsibility, and it starts the moment they step onto the bus. That’s where BusPatrol comes in.
Our stop-arm enforcement program is designed to make school zones safer by changing how drivers behave around school buses. We partner with school districts to provide a complete, turnkey solution, so you’re not just getting a camera system, you’re getting a full safety program backed by technology, expertise, and ongoing support.
So how does it all work?
- BusPatrol equips entire fleets with the latest safety tools: AI-powered stop-arm cameras, DVRs, storage devices, GPS, LTE connectivity — the works. But what sets us apart is how all these pieces work together behind the scenes:
- Once a school bus has stopped and its stop-arm and flashing lights are activated, our AI-powered cameras begin recording.
- If a vehicle passes illegally, our cameras capture the violation from multiple angles and gather key details like the license plate and vehicle information.
- The footage is then securely uploaded to the cloud and reviewed by our trained safety team, who build a detailed evidence package for local law enforcement.
- Law enforcement reviews the evidence, makes the final call, and issues the ticket.
It’s an end-to-end solution designed to take the burden off school districts while making roads safer for everyone.
Does BusPatrol’s stop-arm safety program actually change driver behavior?
The short answer? Yes.
More than 90% of drivers who receive a ticket through our program don’t get a second one. And in many communities, we’ve helped bring violations down by 30% or more year-over-year.
Let’s take a closer look at how our program is making a difference on the ground:
New York
Across the state of New York, school districts and local governments are seeing real change — not just in the number of tickets issued, but in how drivers behave around school buses.
Take Buffalo, for example. Just six months into its stop-arm camera enforcement program, the city saw violations drop dramatically.
“I’ve actually seen a great difference,” said Latrice Martin, Director of Kidz Zone Childcare Center, in an interview with ABC News. “We still have some hiccups where cars try to beat the stop sign, but for the most part, it is a huge difference.”
Since the program launched, 27,467 tickets have been mailed. But here’s the encouraging part — those numbers are trending down:
- October to December: 16,818 tickets (about 5,606/month)
- January to April: 12,031 tickets (about 3,008/month)
That’s a 40% decrease in just a few months.
Meanwhile, in Suffolk County, a similar story unfolded. After ticketing peaked at over 17,000 in November 2021, citations steadily declined, dropping to under 10,000/month by late 2022. That’s another 40% reduction in the program’s first year.
The takeaway? When drivers know there’s accountability, they drive more cautiously — and that means safer roads for students.
Virginia
In Manassas, Virginia, BusPatrol’s stop-arm enforcement program helped ease long-standing concerns from both parents and school staff. In the program’s first year, violations dropped from 1,803 to 1,165 — a 35% decrease.
But it wasn’t just the numbers that improved.
“Bus drivers are very happy. They’re ecstatic about it,” said Andy Hawkins, Executive Director of Finance and Operations at Manassas City Public Schools. “They were complaining for years that a child was going to get hurt. We used to receive complaints all the time from parents. We haven’t received any of those complaints in years.”
The sentiment was echoed by local law enforcement.
“As a community, we all share the responsibility of keeping kids safe,” said Public Information Officer Sergeant A.G. Barahona. “This program helps make that happen.”
Pennsylvania
Across several Pennsylvania school districts, we’ve seen consistent reductions in violations since implementing BusPatrol’s program.
Here’s a snapshot of year-over-year progress from the 2021–22 school year to 2022–23:
- Quakertown: Down 22% (1,317 to 1,028)
- Pennsbury: Down 18% (1,870 to 1,542)
- Bensalem: Down 15% (5,289 to 4,447)
Driving real change with data and education
While our data shows violations decline after our programs launch, it’s not a silver bullet. Real change happens when enforcement is part of a broader safety strategy. That’s why BusPatrol pairs AI-powered technology with community education to help prevent violations before they happen. We run tailored campaigns for each district using PSAs, flyers, digital ads, and local events to inform drivers and shift behavior early on.
Districts can also use the data gathered from our programs to strengthen their overall safety efforts. By identifying high-risk areas, they can make targeted changes, like moving bus stops, adjusting routes, installing signage, or working with law enforcement to monitor problem zones.
Stop-arm enforcement is one piece of the puzzle. When combined with education and smart local action, it becomes a powerful tool for protecting students and creating safer communities.
Ready to learn more?
Want to bring BusPatrol’s proven stop-arm safety program to your community? Book a meeting with our team to see how we can help reduce violations and protect students in your district.
