School Bus Safety Tips for Back-to-School

The risk that drivers pose to children who take a bus is real. In a 2024 report by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services, bus drivers in 35 states and the District of Columbia reported that more than 66,000 vehicles passed their buses illegally on a single day during the 2022-2023 school year. The association says that if that were adjusted for 100 percent of the school bus drivers in the U.S., it would amount to more than 251,000 illegal passes being made.

More school-age pedestrians have been killed between 6 a.m. and 6:59 a.m. than at any other time of day from 2012 to 2021, according to a 2023 NHTSA report. And as the National Safety Council reminds us, children are unpredictable, often taking risks and ignoring hazards. That’s why it’s so important for drivers to pay attention, follow the laws, and anticipate that a child may dart out in front of them when getting on or off a school bus.

Consumer Reports’ experts, NHTSA, and the NSC offer these tips to help keep students—and those who drive near them—safe.