NEW YORK — The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) participated in Operation Safe Stop to remind drivers, again, that passing a stopped school bus is both dangerous and illegal.
During Operation Safe Stop, law enforcement officers rode on school buses and in marked and unmarked patrol units on selected bus routes that have a history of illegal passing complaints. They issued traffic tickets to all motorists caught illegally passing stopped school buses. All violations were reported to a central command post so that final figures are available to state and local officials
According to state law, all vehicles must stop for school buses with flashing red lights so students can safely board and disembark. Motorists must stop at least 20 feet away, before reaching the bus, whether on a two-lane road, a multi-lane highway, or on a divided highway.
New York State is seeing a problematic rise in drivers who think they don’t have to follow this law.
“We’re seeing an uptick in the number of observed vehicles illegally and dangerously passing stopped school buses, and this is very alarming because children’s lives are at risk,” GTSC Chair and DMV Commissioner Mark Schroeder said in a news release. “Drivers must obey these laws, whether stopping to wait for students to board or to depart a school bus or to cross the street at crosswalks.
“We resolutely support this campaign with the New York Association for Pupil Transportation.”
According to the New York Association for Pupil Transportation (NYAPT), about 50,000 motorists pass stopped school buses with red lights flashing statewide each school day. In a 2024, one-day survey of school bus drivers, 892 participating drivers reported almost 2,000 vehicles illegally passed their school buses. That’s at least two potentially deadly incidents witnessed by each driver in just one day.
“Operation Safe Stop is a reminder to motorists to slow down when you see yellow and stop when you see flashing red lights,” NYAPT Executive Director David Christopher said in the release. “That means children are in the area and they are moving – either getting on or off a bus – and you need to stop. All motorists have a responsibility to protect our students. Remember to stop on RED, our kids are ahead!”
According to the New York State Education Department, the youngest students are most at risk. Children ages 4 to 8 (in grades K-3) are most susceptible to a school bus fatality. Fatal crashes involving students who were struck by passing motorists typically involve one or more of the following factors:
• Motorists attempt to pass the bus, claiming they “did not have time to wait.”
• Motorists claim “they couldn’t see the flashing lights” because the lights were “dirty” or because sun, rain, snow, or fog “blinded them.”
• Motorists ignore the law and do not stop at all for the bus.
• The bus driver waves a driver through, unaware of a child crossing the road. Even if the bus driver waves you ahead, you should remain alert and drive slower.
A motorist who illegally passes a school bus stopped to drop off or pick up passengers will face legal and financial penalties.
Vehicle operators who illegally pass a stopped school bus will be fined as follows:
• First conviction – fine of $250-$400 and/or up to 30 days in jail
• Second conviction within 3 years – fine of $600-$750 and/or up to 180 days in jail
• Third conviction or more within 3 years – fine of $750-$1,500 and/or up to 180 days in jail
• Five points will be added to the operator’s driving record for each conviction. For reference, drivers who accumulate six or more points in 18 months must pay a Driver Responsibility Assessment fee. Drivers who accumulate 11 or more points in 18 months face license suspension.
Vehicle owners whose vehicle passes a stopped school bus will be fined – when caught on camera by a bus stop-arm camera – as follows:
• First violation – $250
• Second violation within 18 months – $275
• Third violation (or more) within 18 months – $300
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