Last month, National School Bus Safety Week was highlighted with videos, PSAs, social media posts and press releases in support of building awareness to the communities we live in and serve. Most of the content I saw specifically highlighted illegal passing awareness. I watched a video shared by the West Virgina Department of Education with the state police department that was simply shocking.
Jimmy Lacy, the transportation director for the state’s Department of Education, and Sgt. Travis Bailes of the Charleston Police Department outline the impact on student safety and state regulations regarding illegal passing. Lacy commented on my social media post, “This is a tough video to watch.”
The video showed footage of a white compact car traveling at a high-rate speed on a two-lane road in a rural area, nearly missing a child crossing the road after exiting their school bus. This near miss could have easily ended in tragedy. You can watch it for yourself at stnonline.com/go/nx.
Another impressive PSA was the brainchild of Katrina Morris, executive director of the Michigan Association of Pupil Transportation and the recent winner of the Peter J. Grandolfo Memorial Award at STN EXPO WEST.
“Tony, I have this idea about getting a famous NASCAR driver to promote school bus safety and illegal passing awareness” Morris told me months earlier at STN EXPO EAST in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Her idea turned into reality, in partnership with ROUSH CleanTech, Blue Bird and other partners, highlighting awareness of illegal passing of stopped school buses. The video features NASCAR driver Ryan Preece at the RFK Racing Museum in Concord, North Carolina. You can watch it at stnonline.com/go/ny.
Doe these efforts move the needle of awareness around illegal passing? Not sure we get a true read on the outcomes of National School Bus Safety Week, but some effort needs to be made by our industry to curb the 39.3 million motorists thought to illegally pass school buses nationwide each year, according to the recent study by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS).
Engaging the star power of public figures like Ryan Preece might increase interest from mainstream media to get more coverage regarding school bus safety. With the right messaging, we can shift the narrative toward one that highlights the progress we’re making as an industry with a focus on safety and kids. In many cases, the gap between public awareness boils down to the need for broad scale communication to the masses.
The public simply doesn’t understand—or care about, as a NHTSA survey recently found—the rules of the road when it comes to school buses.
Most people understand that the yellow school bus is more than a means of transportation. At least they should. It’s a symbol of family, schools, education and community. The time is now for us to redefine the public’s perception to also build a message around safety. What can you do to enhance safety? Consider investing in innovative crossing control technologies like illuminated signage, crossing gates and LEDs.
“The fully illuminated school bus sign and stop arm can dramatically increase the visibility of a school bus by up to 88 percent in low-light situations according to our efficacy study” said Kevin Smith, president at First Light Safety Company. “Consider that OEMs like IC Bus have standardized this equipment as of August 2025. That is very significant!”
Why wouldn’t you invest in safety technology that works? Is it simply that budget is prioritized over safety? Foundationally as an industry we tout our impressive safety record in school transportation, but we aren’t perfect. Fatalities, injuries and crashes will happen. Are school transportation operations making a best effort to prevent that?
I recommend you take a second look at the available safety equipment, technology and training available to you from partners. Industry trade shows and conferences like TSD, NAPT and STN EXPO offer a great hands-on experiences to demo the products for yourself. Let’s keep driving safety forward, together!
Editor’s Note: As reprinted from the November 2025 issue of School Transportation News.
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