According to the National School Transportation Association, there are some 480,000 yellow school buses collectively making 50 million trips on any given day. By comparison, all other modes of mass transportation top out at 34 million daily boardings, making the national school bus fleet the largest form of mass transportation in the United States. After factoring in all the ways a school bus is used regularly, as many as 20 billion individual student rides are made every year.
Federal law doesn’t address passing a school bus, but it’s illegal in all 50 states. Generally speaking, a driver can’t pass when the stop arm is out, and the red lights are flashing. These laws typically apply to rural, two-lane roads as well as most multi-lane highways without a physical barrier separating traffic. A study by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services found that over 43.5 million illegal passes occurred during the 2022-2023 school year. Depending on the state, a fine can range from $500 to $1,200. What’s more, a driver could lose their license.
Naturally, safety is a huge concern when it comes to keeping all those kids safe. Seventy-five children were killed in 1975 as they were either getting onto or off the bus. That number has dropped considerably in recent years. According to the National School Bus Loading and Unloading Surveysix children were killed in loading and unloading zones around school buses during the 2024-2025 school year. Still, AI-powered school bus safety programs are focusing on bringing that number down even further. Integral to that program are video cameras mounted on the sides of buses that automatically detect and record drivers who illegally pass, all in an effort to further mitigate the risk of injuring children.
Be very cautious around school buses
These AI-powered video monitoring systems include integrated GPS and a suite of high-definition cameras with enhanced low-light capabilities. Strategically located around the bus, they’re able to capture footage from multiple angles in real time, providing a comprehensive view of any incident that may occur. Video footage is recorded onto DVRs, where it can then be examined and turned over to law enforcement for further review and, if warranted, punishment.
It’s estimated that school buses rack up nearly 4.5 billion miles during each school year. Children who travel to school by bus are 70 times less likely to be involved in a fatal accident than those traveling to and from school in a passenger vehicle. The National Safety Council broke down data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and found that 128 people were killed nationwide in crashes to school buses in 2023, up 23% compared to the 104 deaths in 2022.
For the longest time, school buses didn’t require seat belts, but that is starting to change as several states now have laws mandating them. The same is true for stop-arm camera laws, and there’s no better or easier way to enforce those laws (and thereby cutting down on injuries and deaths) than by using the latest technology. Today, at least 30 states have stop-arm camera laws on the books — sometimes referred to as automated vehicle identification systems — and that number continues to grow.
