South Carolina officials urge drivers to observe school bus safety rules

South Carolina’s education and public safety agencies are urging drivers to exercise caution around school buses. The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) and the South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS) held a joint news conference on Tuesday to highlight the importance of school bus safety during National School Bus Safety Week.

The state operates 5,700 school buses, transporting about 340,000 students daily and making roughly 200,000 stops each day. During the 2024-25 school year, these buses are expected to travel over 76 million miles.

In recent years, South Carolina has focused on updating its school bus fleet. Legislative funding has allowed the SCDE to reduce the average age of its buses by half and add more than 4,850 new vehicles to the fleet. All buses are now equipped with GPS hardware and software. Other safety enhancements include collision avoidance and stability control systems, rear motorist alert devices on over 400 new buses, stop-arm cameras on 450 buses to document violations, and unique identification numbers on the roofs to assist law enforcement in emergencies.

Officials emphasize that passing a stopped school bus is not only illegal but also endangers children. Violators face fines, license points, and possible jail time. New bus-mounted cameras have led to increased identification and fining of drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses.

The SCDPS is encouraging parents and teachers to discuss bus stop safety with students.

“For hundreds of thousands of South Carolina students, their school day begins and ends on a school bus,” said State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver. “Every child deserves to get to school and home safely. South Carolina has made major investments to modernize our buses and strengthen safety measures, but technology cannot replace responsibility. When you slow down and stay alert, you’re helping protect our students like they’re your own.”

"Just last school year, we received 3,901 reports statewide of drivers failing to stop for a school bus with the stop arm extended," SC Highway Patrol Commander Colonel Christopher Williamson said. "These laws exist to protect our children. Our troopers are committed to enforcing South Carolina's school bus laws and holding violators accountable to help keep kids safe. That's why we are asking drivers everywhere – do the right thing: put the phone down, slow down, stay alert, and stop when those red lights are flashing."

Further details about the SCDPS school bus safety campaign and educational materials can be found at https://www.scdps.gov/schoolbus.