School officials urge drivers to follow laws as students return to classrooms

As students in Washington prepare to return to school, transportation teams are working to ensure buses are ready for daily student commutes. A recent survey by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS) indicates that many drivers may need reminders about laws related to school bus safety.

The NASDPTS has conducted a one-day survey since 2011 to estimate how often motorists illegally pass stopped school buses. In 2025, more than 114,000 school bus drivers participated nationwide, including over 3,000 from Washington state. During the survey day, Washington bus drivers reported 542 incidents of vehicles illegally passing stopped buses. When projected across the entire school year, this suggests nearly 100,000 such violations occur annually in the state. Nationwide, there were 67,258 reports on the same day.

Data from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) shows that an average of 340,000 K–12 students rode school buses each day during the 2024–25 academic year in Washington. These buses traveled over 90 million miles during that period.

According to analysis by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), between 2013 and 2022 there were approximately 132,000 injuries and 976 fatalities resulting from school-transportation-related crashes across the United States.

In Washington specifically, data from the Washington State Patrol recorded 387 collisions involving school buses in 2024. Of these incidents, other drivers were found at fault in about seventy percent of cases.

Washington’s requirements for becoming a school bus driver include holding a Class A or B Commercial Driver's License with passenger and school bus endorsements. Applicants must also complete a Driver Instructor Training Course and participate in annual in-service training once certified.

State law outlines when motorists must stop for school buses: on two-lane roads, traffic moving both directions must stop if a “visual signal” like flashing red lights or a retractable stop sign is activated. There are specific rules for three-lane roads and those divided by medians. Failing to stop when required can result in a $500 fine.

The Department of Licensing’s Drivers’ Guide advises drivers to remain alert for children near roadways even after a bus’s red lights have ceased flashing and its stop sign is retracted.

"Drivers should use caution and patience," the release states. "When in doubt, stop!"