Illegal Passing Trends: The Scope of the Problem

Illegal passing remains a widespread risk despite increased awareness. There are laws and national safety campaigns in all 50 U.S. states requiring drivers to stop for school buses, especially with extended stop arms and flashing red lights.

• According to national survey data collected in 2024–2025, school bus drivers reported 67,258 illegal passing incidents in a single day across participating states. When extrapolated to represent all U.S. buses over a typical school year, this amounts to more than 39.3 million illegal passings annually.

• Earlier estimates also indicate hundreds of millions of such violations occur over multiple years, underscoring the enduring scale of the issue.

• In localized pilot programs, technology-equipped buses have recorded multiple violations per bus per day. That’s more than one per bus in Carson City and over 2.3 per bus daily in Peabody, Massachusetts.

Why Illegal Passing Is So Dangerous

Children are most vulnerable near the school bus when they are getting on and off, precisely when a stopped bus displays flashing red lights and an extended stop arm. These visual signals alert drivers that kids may be crossing the street. Ignoring them dramatically increases the risk of pedestrian injuries or fatalities.

What’s Being Done and What Still Needs Work

Across the country, communities and policymakers are stepping up efforts to reduce illegal passing:

• Some states and cities are enacting stricter penalties and automated enforcement to deter violators.

• Nationwide, safety campaigns and resources from agencies like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) emphasize both education and enforcement.

  
  

• Investigations into new technologies show the complexity and importance of traffic compliance around school buses.

Still, with millions of violations annually, there’s much work ahead. Continued emphasis on education, stronger enforcement, and broader public awareness are essential to protect students.

Illegal passing remains one of the most persistent dangers to student safety in transportation. But with national trends showing early signs of improvement and communities increasingly engaged during awareness months like February’s Love the Bus Month, there’s an opportunity to push that progress further.