Every year, during the third full week of October, National School Bus Safety Week raises awareness of school bus safety and the importance of keeping students safe on their ride to and from school. This initiative is particularly important given the recent alarming data indicating a rise in illegal school bus passing incidents nationwide.
When drivers ignore a bus’s extended stop-arm and flashing red lights, they put children at serious risk. These “stop-arm violations” are not just traffic offenses — they’re direct threats to children’s safety. According to the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation, an estimated 45.2 million of these violations occur across the U.S. While only a small percentage of these result in a crash, the risk of tragedy remains too high. Over a recent nine-year period, nearly 1,000 school transportation-related crashes took the lives of 1,082 people, including 198 school-age children.
These statistics are a constant reminder of why BusPatrol’s efforts extend far beyond a single week of awareness. While National School Bus Safety Week is a focal point, school bus safety is central to our mission every day, year-round. We’re on a mission to change driver behavior and create safer communities by arming children and drivers with the knowledge they need to keep students safe.
Partnering with schools and communities
This year for National School Bus Safety Week, we joined forces with school districts across Florida, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New York, and Virginia to drive awareness, educate drivers, and celebrate those who make school bus safety possible. With bus drivers playing a critical role in ensuring the safe transport of students to and from school each day, we held special bus driver award events with partners, including Hillsborough County Public Schools in Florida and the City of Buffalo and Buffalo Public Schools in New York.
Additionally, to educate and engage elementary students on the dangers they face around school buses, we hosted in-classroom bus safety workshops in partnership with schools in Bridgeport, Connecticut; Upper Darby and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Hillsborough and Miami, Florida; and Chesapeake, Virginia. During the sessions, students learned practical tips to stay safe while riding the bus daily, including the importance of looking both ways, avoiding the danger zone around the bus, and recognizing common safety hazards. Students also received activity books and viewed a short film reinforcing the rules around school bus safety.
Shining a national spotlight on school bus safety
This year, our mission reached a national audience through a segment on The Today Show, where we hosted a ride-along in Miami-Dade County, Florida. By bringing attention to the challenges children face on their commutes, the segment underscored the need for improved driver awareness and accountability.
To keep this message at the forefront of drivers’ minds, we also launched public service announcements in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Miami-Dade, reminding the larger community that school bus safety laws are to be respected all year long.
A 24/7 commitment to safety education
At BusPatrol, we take our role as a dedicated safety partner to the communities we serve seriously long after a program launches. We believe a safer future begins with an educated, vigilant community ready to make responsible choices. We stand alongside parents, educators, and students, ensuring that every child has a safe journey to and from school.
