At BusPatrol, we believe every child should be able to get to and from school safely. It’s why we work hand in hand with school districts, law enforcement, and community leaders to create safer roads and protect students in every community we serve.
Each year, the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS) conducts a national survey to better understand how often drivers illegally pass stopped school buses. The results from the 2024–2025 school year reveal both how widespread the issue remains, and where we’re beginning to see meaningful progress.
Here’s what we learned:
1. Over 67,000 illegal passings were recorded in a single day
In this year’s survey, 114,239 school bus drivers across 36 states and the District of Columbia reported a total of 67,258 illegal passings, all in a single day. Each incident involved a driver failing to stop for a school bus while its stop arm was extended — a clear and dangerous violation of the law designed to protect children.
While the survey captures just over 30 percent of the nation’s school bus drivers, it offers a troubling snapshot of how often drivers ignore stop arms and put students at risk.
2. The bad news: Over 39 million school bus violations are projected for the 2024–2025 school year
When the survey data is extrapolated to account for all school bus drivers in the United States, the estimated number of illegal passings on a single school day exceeds 218,000. When projected across a 180-day school year, this amounts to more than 39.3 million violations.
These are not just statistics. Each violation represents a moment when a child’s life is put at risk. The sheer volume of offenses serves as a stark reminder of the need for continued enforcement, education, and investment in student transportation safety.
3. The good news: Illegal passings decreased by 10 percent nationwide, a meaningful step forward
For the first time since NASDPTS began tracking this data, the number of illegal school bus passings has gone down. The 2025 survey estimates a 13 percent drop compared to last year, with violations falling from 45.2 million to 39.3 million.
This decline is not without cause. In recent years, many states have taken important steps to address this public safety crisis — raising penalties for violators, authorizing the use of photo evidence for issuing citations, and implementing automated stop-arm enforcement programs. These changes are working, and the data reinforces what we know to be true: when drivers are held accountable, behavior changes.
We’re seeing that progress firsthand. As the most trusted and widely deployed stop-arm enforcement program in the country, BusPatrol helps protect over 2 million students every day on more than 40,000 school buses. In the communities we serve, we’ve seen a 33 percent average reduction in stop-arm violations, a clear sign that our programs help change driver behavior. And that change sticks — 90 percent of drivers who receive a ticket through the BusPatrol program don’t break the law again. This demonstrates that when people understand the rules and recognize there are real consequences, they are more likely to follow them.
While the total number of violations remains too high, this decline represents the beginning of a positive shift — one driven by a combination of strong policy, effective enforcement, and committed communities working together to protect children.
4. Some communities continue to face elevated violation rates and may need targeted solutions
Despite national progress, the risk to students remains especially high in some areas. To better understand where challenges are most concentrated, we analyzed the NASDPTS data and calculated the number of violations per driver in each state. This approach adjusts for population differences and highlights where illegal passing behavior is more common.
Across all participating states, the average was approximately 0.7 violations per driver. Several states far exceeded that baseline, indicating a greater risk for students in those communities:
- Alabama: 5.3 violations per driver
- Arkansas: 2.0 violations per driver
- Arizona: 1.4 violations per driver
- California: 1.2 violations per driver
- Colorado: 1.2 violations per driver
It’s important to note that a higher violation rate doesn’t necessarily mean drivers in these states are more careless. These numbers may point to other contributing factors — like a lack of public awareness about school bus stopping laws, gaps in enforcement, or roadway infrastructure that makes it harder for drivers to see or react to stopped buses in time.
These findings highlight where additional education, enforcement, and infrastructure improvements could help protect students. School bus safety is a shared responsibility, and identifying local hotspots is a key step toward building targeted, community-based solutions.
5. Right-side passings have climbed to nearly 1 in 5 violations, raising serious concerns
One of the more alarming findings in this year’s report is the sharp increase in right-side illegal passings. Across the 2022, 2023, and 2024 surveys, these violations consistently accounted for just 3 percent of all incidents. This year, they made up nearly 20 percent.
While NASDPTS did not cite specific reasons for the increase, the data suggests a concerning trend. All illegal passings put students in danger, but right-side passings are especially risky. They often occur as children are boarding or exiting the bus — the exact moment they are most vulnerable.
This significant rise underscores the need for better driver education and awareness, as well as more comprehensive enforcement strategies. Communities must take steps to ensure drivers understand not only when to stop, but why it matters.
“Right-side passings are among the most dangerous violations we see. These are the moments when children are most vulnerable, just steps from their front door or the school bus. At BusPatrol, we’re one of the few providers with right-side detection capabilities. Protecting students from every angle isn’t optional—it’s essential.” — Steve Randazzo, Chief Growth Officer, BusPatrol
6. Even with progress, 39 million violations per year constitutes a public safety emergency
While this year’s data offers encouraging signs of progress, the scale of the problem remains unacceptable. Thirty-nine million violations in a single school year means millions of opportunities for tragedy. One illegal passing is all it takes to change a family’s life forever.
The findings from this year’s NASDPTS survey are a powerful reminder of why our work matters. We’re proud to see the numbers finally moving in the right direction, and proud to have played a role in that progress. But our mission isn’t finished. We’ll continue working alongside our partners to help protect more students on their journeys to and from school.
If you’re ready to bring school bus safety to your community, contact us today.
