Commercial vehicles: School bus safety
Stop for school buses: It's the law!
- State law requires all vehicles to stop for school buses when the bus driver activates the flashing lights and has the stop-arm fully extended.
- Drivers who violate the law can face a $500 fine.
- Drivers can face more severe criminal charges for passing a school bus on the right, passing when a child is outside the bus, or injuring or killing a child.
School district staff or school bus contractor staff can report school bus stop-arm violations using the stop-arm violation report form.
Information for drivers
- Drivers must stop at least 20 feet from a school bus that is displaying red flashing lights and an extended stop-arm. Motorists traveling in the opposite direction on a divided roadway are not required to stop.
- Drivers should slow down, pay attention and anticipate school children and buses, especially in neighborhoods and school zones.
- The best way to be aware of your surroundings at all times is to put the distractions away.
Information for students
- When getting off a bus, look to be sure no cars are passing on the shoulder.
- Wait for the bus driver to signal that it's safe to cross.
- When crossing the street to get on the bus or to go home, make eye contact with motorists before proceeding.
Stop-arm violation citations by year
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | Total |
| 1,075 | 1,176 | 512 | 773 | 1,012 | 1,864 | 6,412 |
Annual stop-arm survey
Each year, bus drivers across the state participate in a one-day, stop-arm survey. During this time, bus drivers note the number of drivers they see and how many violate the stop-arm law.
| Year | Number of drivers | Number of violations observed |
| 2024 | 2,875 | 476 |
| 2023 | 3,142 | 527 |
| 2022 | 4,359 | 1,003 |
| 2019 | 2,376 | 625 |
| 2018 | 2,802 | 583 |
| 2017 | 3,659 | 703 |
| 2016 | 2,623 | 529 |
Teaching aids
The Office of Pupil Transportation provides educational materials that teachers, school bus drivers, parents and others can use to teach others about school bus safety.
School bus aware: The way to success
Learn the school bus safety essentials with the School Bus Aware brochure. Share this brochure with your students and parents so everyone understands the fundamentals of riding the bus safely. Download the brochure or order printed copies.
Be ready to ride
Drivers and students share the responsibility of making the trip to and from school safely. Please watch and share this brief video describing how you can Be Ready to Ride.