Why State Legislatures Must Prioritize School Bus Safety in 2025
As students across the country board school buses each day, their safety is entrusted to
both the vehicles and the drivers who share the road. Yet, despite widespread
awareness campaigns and the critical role school buses play in transportation, student
safety remains a concern, particularly during boarding and drop-off times. One
promising solution lies in the adoption of advanced external safety measures like stop-
arm extensions. However, in 2025, state legislatures need to take the lead in enabling
school districts to utilize this emerging technology.
Illegal passing of school buses is a well-documented issue, endangering students as
they cross the road to get on or off the bus.
The National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services
(NASDPTS) conducts an annual survey of school bus drivers, revealing alarming
statistics about the growing problem of illegal passing. In the 2023-2024 school year,
school bus drivers across the U.S. reported 66,322 instances of vehicles illegally
passing their buses on a single day. Projected across a typical 180-day school year, that
would be more than 45.2 million passing violations annually, a nearly 4% increase from
the previous year's estimate of 43.5 million violations.
These violations put students at risk every day and highlight a critical gap in road safety
measures.
While traditional stop arms have been the standard for decades, they often prove
insufficient to catch the attention of today’s distracted or reckless drivers. This is where
stop arm extensions, like BusGates™, come into play.
What Are Stop Arm Extensions?
Stop arm extensions are innovative devices that extend further into the roadway than
standard stop arms, making it nearly impossible for drivers to ignore the warning. Unlike
traditional stop signs attached to buses, these extensions create a physical barrier while
increasing visibility. Early adopters in states including Montana, Illinois and New York
have seen dramatic results, with reductions in incidents of illegal passing by as much as
95% and increased compliance from drivers.
Unfortunately, the adoption of these devices is not uniform across the United States,
because several state laws do not yet allow for the investment and adoption of the
technology, leaving districts in regulatory limbo despite their interest in improving safety
for their students by adding stop arm extensions to their fleet
In 2025, state legislatures have a critical opportunity to address this gap and empower
school districts to take proactive steps toward enhancing student safety.
By updating laws to permit the use of stop-arm extensions, legislators can:
1. Improve Compliance with Existing Traffic Laws: Stop arm extensions
act as a deterrent to illegal passing, reinforcing the importance of stopping for
school buses and reducing violations.
2. Save Lives: The most compelling reason to adopt this technology is the
potential to prevent tragic accidents. Every child’s life is invaluable, and every
preventable incident is one too many.
3. Support School District Autonomy: School districts know their
communities best. By allowing districts the option to implement stop arm
extensions, legislators give them the tools to address specific safety
challenges unique to their area.
4. Demonstrate Commitment to Student Safety: By prioritizing legislation
that enables modern safety measures, state governments send a strong
message that student welfare is a top priority.
School buses remain the safest mode of transportation for students, but even one
preventable injury or fatality is unacceptable. As we look to the future, state legislatures
can act decisively to give school districts the authority to adopt life-saving technologies
like stop-arm extensions. The success stories in states already using these devices
demonstrate their effectiveness, and the technology’s potential to save lives is too
significant to ignore.
Parents, educators, and community members should urge their representatives to
prioritize student safety by considering and passing legislation that allows for the
adoption of stop-arm extensions. By taking action in 2025, we can make meaningful
progress toward ensuring that every child gets to school and back home safely.
The road to safer schools starts with bold legislative action.