Each day, millions of children across the U.S. rely on school buses to get to and from school safely. But while buses are one of the safest ways to travel, there’s one persistent and preventable danger that puts kids at risk: drivers illegally passing stopped school buses.
That’s where stop-arm enforcement programs come in. These programs use cameras mounted on the outside of school buses to detect and record vehicles that unlawfully pass when the stop-arm is extended.
At BusPatrol, we partner with school districts, municipalities, and law enforcement to modernize school bus fleets and hold drivers accountable using advanced AI-powered technology. But like any solution that combines technology, enforcement, and public safety, it often comes with questions, as well as some common misconceptions.
Let’s take a look at some of the biggest myths we hear and the real facts that set the record straight.
Myth #1: “People don’t actually pass stopped school buses. This isn’t a real problem.”
Fact: It happens millions of times a year, and it’s putting children at risk every single day.
It might seem unthinkable, but drivers illegally pass stopped school buses more than 45 million times a year in North America. That’s over 123,000 violations every single day — moments when a child could be stepping off the bus, crossing the street, or heading home after school.
In many cases, drivers simply aren’t paying attention. Others may not fully understand the laws about when to stop. But regardless of intent, the outcome is the same: kids are put in harm’s way.
These violations aren’t just numbers. They represent near misses, close calls, and too often, tragic outcomes. And because most of these incidents go unnoticed and unreported, the scope of the problem has remained hidden — until now.
Automated stop-arm enforcement helps bring that reality to light. By capturing violations as they happen, communities can finally measure the scale of the issue, take action, and ultimately change driver behavior.
Myth #2: “This will cost taxpayers or strain district resources.”
Fact: BusPatrol programs come at no up-front cost to school districts, municipalities, or taxpayers.
We know budgets are tight — and safety shouldn’t depend on how much money a district has. That’s why we created a violator-funded model that covers:
- All equipment (cameras, sensors, DVRs, GPS, LTE connectivity)
- Installation and maintenance
- Cloud-based software
- Program support and reporting
BusPatrol provides and installs all safety technology at no cost to the district, recouping its investment solely through a share of violation revenue over time — meaning the district never pays out of pocket.
Myth #3: “This sounds like a cash grab disguised as safety.”
Fact: Our goal is safer roads — not revenue.
BusPatrol programs are designed to prevent violations, not profit from them. Before any citations are issued, we fund and launch public awareness campaigns to educate drivers about the law and the presence of stop-arm cameras. This includes:
- Press conferences and media coverage
- Social media campaigns
- Roadside signage
- School outreach and student driver education
And the results speak for themselves. In many communities, violation rates drop 25–30% within the first year, and over 90% of first-time violators never receive a second ticket.
Yes, the revenue from citations helps cover the cost of the cameras, equipment, installation costs, maintenance, and program support, but if no violations occurred, that would be a win for everyone.
Myth #4: “This program sounds like a lot of work to manage.”
Fact: It’s a turnkey solution — BusPatrol handles everything.
We make it easy for school districts and law enforcement to participate in a program that improves safety without adding work to their plates. In fact, our team:
- Installs and maintains all technology on every bus — with in-house installation crews that ensure every system meets our rigorous quality and safety standards
- Reviews footage and creates citation packages for local police districts to approve
- Provides a secure cloud portal for law enforcement to approve citations
- Offers community education, violator support, and payment processing in multiple languages
The only task for local police is reviewing and approving violations. From there, we handle the rest.
Myth #5: “My data won’t be safe.”
Fact: BusPatrol enforces rigorous privacy protections and data security protocols.
We understand that student and driver data must be handled with care. That’s why we follow strict procedures for data privacy:
- All video and data are encrypted and transmitted via FirstNet, a secure LTE network used by first responders.
- Footage is stored on onboard DVRs and purged according to local laws.
- Only law enforcement has access to external footage; schools cannot use it for disciplinary purposes.
- Access agreements are customized for each municipality to ensure compliance with privacy guidelines.
In short: we treat data security the way we treat child safety—seriously.
Myth #6: “Automated enforcement doesn’t really change driver behavior.”
Fact: It does. And we have the numbers to prove it.
BusPatrol’s stop-arm programs are active on tens of thousands of buses across North America, and the impact is clear:
- Communities see up to 30% reductions in violations year-over-year
- Nearly all first-time violators never offend again
It’s a proven formula: technology + education + accountability = safer roads.
Whether you live in a city or a rural town, every child deserves to feel safe getting on and off the school bus. And every driver should be held to the same standard of safety.
Automated stop-arm enforcement isn’t about punishment — it’s about prevention. And thanks to technology, we now have a way to modernize fleet safety, change driving culture, and do it all without asking taxpayers to foot the bill.
Ready to make your school buses safer and change driver behavior? Contact us to get started.
