LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A National Transportation Safety Board official highlighted school bus seatbelt use and crash investigations while the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s chief counsel discussed CDL integrity and driver training at the National Association for Pupil Transportation Annual Conference.

Meg Sweeney, an NTSB project manager and accident investigator, described during the Oct. 4 general session how the independent federal agency investigates selected crashes, identifies probable causes and issues recommendations intended to prevent future incidents. The NTSB investigates significant crashes across several transportation modes, including highway, rail, pipeline and marine. The following day, NTSB dispatched investigators to Polk County, Florida following the fatal school bus crash there.

On Sunday before nearly 200 NAPT attendees, Sweeney said NTSB’s highway safety office has about 35 staff members, so the agency cannot investigate every fatal highway crash. Investigators assess factors such as the crash’s significance, public attention and the potential for the investigation to improve safety. A team may include experts in driver behavior, vehicle condition, motor carrier practices, occupant protection and roadway design.

NTSB may also invite organizations with relevant technical expertise to participate as party members. For a school bus investigation, that could include a school district, state transportation officials, law enforcement, a vehicle manufacturer or federal agencies. Party members can contribute information and review factual material for accuracy before it is published, Sweeney added.

Seatbelt Use and Driver Impairment

Sweeney focused on an NTSB investigation of a school bus rollover in Leander, Texas. The bus was equipped with lap-shoulder belts at every passenger seat, but investigators could confirm that only six of the 42 students were restrained. Video showed four students wearing the lap portion of their belts while placing the shoulder belt behind them. Investigators could not verify how the other two students were belted.

NTSB issued urgent recommendations to Leander Independent School District, the state of Texas and national school transportation organizations. The recommendations called for enforceable seatbelt policies and procedures, including pre-departure reminders, periodic checks, review of onboard video and training for students and families on proper belt use.

Sweeney said Leander ISD had begun making changes before receiving the recommendation. The NTSB was still awaiting a response from Texas at the time of the presentation. The agency also praised the school transportation organizations for sharing the recommendations with their members.

Another investigation involved a school bus driver impaired by alcohol in Millstone, West Virginia. Sweeney said the driver initially registered a blood alcohol concentration of 0.16 and later registered 0.12 following the March 4, 2024 incident, where the school bus right rear wheels left the roadway and struck a culvert. Three students suffered serious injuries, including a teenager who later required a leg amputation, during the resulting school bus roll over. Sixteen students sustained minor injuries.

The legal limit for commercial drivers is 0.04. Sweeney said the crash renewed NTSB’s interest in vehicle-integrated alcohol detection systems, she said. In a separate rollover crash without lap-shoulder belts, students were displaced from their seats.

NTSB is also investigating fatal incidents in Maine and New Jersey, in which students were struck near school buses or school buses dragged the students in the loading door, as well as reports of Waymo autonomous vehicles illegally passing stopped school buses. Sweeney noted that the agency uses onboard video and other available records as important evidence in its investigations.

Related: NASDPTS Further Strengthens Call for Lap/Shoulder Seatbelts
Related: Seatbelt, Danger Zone Recommendations Highlight NTSB Discussion at STN EXPO East

FMCSA Emphasizes CDL and Training Standards

Rebecca Pettit, FMCSA chief counsel, said federal priorities include maintaining the integrity of commercial driver’s licenses and ensuring that drivers receive meaningful training. She described the CDL as a safety credential, particularly for drivers transporting students, and said qualifications and proficiency should not be weakened in response to driver shortages.

Pettit said FMCSA had removed 10,000 training locations from its Training Provider Registry as of the month of the presentation, with another 1,000 locations under review. She said the agency is working to ensure Entry-Level Driver Training providers are legitimate, and that training includes demonstrated behind-the-wheel skills, rather than relying only on classroom instruction or self-certification.

She also emphasized that FMCSA does not regulate every aspect of pupil transportation. Government-operated school transportation and routine home-to-school service are exempt from most federal motor carrier regulations, she said, although CDL and drug-and-alcohol requirements apply. Federal rules can also apply to some interstate transportation provided by private schools or contractors. Applicability depends on factors such as who provides the service, vehicle capacity, compensation, trip purpose and whether the operation crosses state lines.

Pettit encouraged school districts and contractors to contact FMCSA field offices when they are uncertain about their responsibilities. She also urged transportation professionals to comment on proposed federal rules, saying operational experience helps agencies identify unintended consequences and make workable policy. A separate session on Monday shared details on what student transporters need to know about FMCSA audits amid increased enforcement targeting CDL mills and non-domiciled CDL holders.

NAPT, NASDPTS and NSTA Share Updates

Peter Mannella, NAPT’s public policy liaison, said the association’s federal outreach is intended to ensure pupil transportation professionals have a voice in policy discussions. He described meetings with federal agencies as an opportunity to build relationships and bring industry concerns directly to decision-makers.

Curt Macsysn of the National School Transportation Association reported that the recent International School Bus Driver Safety Competition grew from 53 drivers in 2025 to 88 in 2026, with a goal of 100 drivers for the 2027 event in Austin, Texas. He also discussed scholarships for competitors, recruitment of judges with driver or trainer experience, and a proposed “Break for Kids Act” public-service campaign to raise awareness about illegal passing.

Ron Lichtfield of NASDPTS presented results from the group’s voluntary survey of illegal school bus passings. Participating drivers reported 56,024 illegal passings in a one-day study. Extrapolated across an estimated 180-day school year, the figure was about 38.4 million — down slightly from 39.3 million in the previous year’s projection, but still a substantial safety concern. Lichtfield also highlighted updated seatbelt guidance and a resource addressing concerns about aftermarket buckle guards.

Written with the assistance of AI and an audio transcript.

Related: Henry, Shutrump Among NAPT Honorees at 2026 Annual Conference
Related: NTSB Preliminary Report Details Fatal Tennessee School Bus Crash
Related: Circuit Court Orders Stay of FMCSA Rule on Non-Domiciled CDL Holders

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The National School Transportation Association (NSTA) is calling on all motorists to obey traffic laws and exercise caution around school buses as students return to classrooms nationwide.

The warning follows the release of new data highlighting the ongoing problem of illegal passing of stopped school buses. According to results presented by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services at the 2026 NSTA Annual Meeting & Convention last month, 101,334 school bus drivers in 39 states and the District of Columbia (approximately 26 percent of the nation’s school bus drivers) voluntarily participated in a one-day count in the spring. They reported a total of 56,024 illegal passing motorists.

When projected nationally, the data suggests more than 213,800 illegal passings occur each school day, totaling over 38.4 million violations annually. This latest figure indicates a decrease from the 45.2 million violations estimated for the 2023–2024 school year. NASDPTS projected a total of 39.3 million violations for the 2024–2025 school year.

“School bus safety is a shared responsibility, and this data is a reminder that motorists play a critical role in protecting student,” said NSTA President Patrick Dean stated of the back-to-school reminder.

The school bus contractor association also continues its #KidsDeserveABrake social media campaign through September to raise awareness about the return of school buses to the roads. The association is advocating in Congress for H.R.2348 and S.2812, known as the Brake for Kids Act, which would direct the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to conduct a nationwide public safety campaign about the dangers of illegal school bus passing.

“Every time a motorist illegally passes a stopped school bus, children’s safety is put at risk. As the school year begins, NSTA is calling on drivers, law enforcement and communities to treat these violations with the seriousness they deserve and to help ensure every student gets to and from school safely,” added NSTA Executive Director Curt Macysyn.

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The National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services reiterated its support of the use of lap/shoulder seatbelts for the safety of student passengers by calling for the occupant restraints in all new school buses.

NASDPTS, the first industry association to openly support the use of the safety restraints on school buses, evolved its stance from first recommending the equipment in 2008 to requiring enforceable use in 2014.

In May 2020, NASDPTS consolidated that record into policy. It supported requiring the installation and use of lap/shoulder belts in all new school buses, accompanied by student training, evacuation drills that include unbuckling, trip safety briefings and enforcement. The paper emphasized that lap/shoulder belts supplement compartmentalization, which National Transportation Safety Board investigations have concluded provides limited protection in rollovers, side impacts and secondary collisions. It also cited NHTSA’s estimate that universal installation and proper use on large buses could prevent 1,898 injuries and 2.13 fatalities annually. At the time, NASDPTS considered retrofitting seatbelts on legacy school buses to be a local decision dependent upon technical, legal and compatibility reviews.

The update announced Monday states that “lap/shoulder belts provide the safest form of occupant protection inside a school bus.” NASDPTS recommends installing and using the belts in all new school buses. Additionally, states and local jurisdictions are encouraged to establish enforcement policies and procedures, NASDPTS adds, noting that all students must use the belts and must be trained on how to use them properly.

Training, NASDPTS noted, must include proper use and adjustment of passengers. All students transported via a school bus must participate in regular evacuation drills, including unbuckling exercisers.

“Prior to every field or activity trip, the school bus driver or other designated personnel must provide a safety briefing to all students and adult passengers that includes the required use of the belts, the location and use of the exists and the location of the emergency equipment,” NASDPTS states. “Jurisdictions must adopt and implement related policies, notices, training and appropriate enforcement.”

NASDPTS also clarified that school bus drivers are only expected to make reasonable efforts to enforce seatbelt usage.

Related: NASDPTS Responds to Latest NTSB Safety Recommendations for School Buses
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Related: As New School Year Starts, Fall Conference Agendas Announced
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The position adds that retrofitting existing school buses with lap/shoulder seatbelts should only be considered after consultation with the original equipment manufacturer for that specific school bus. The state director’s association adds that retrofits could be considered unsafe, “as not all buses are built to specifications needed to support seatbelts. In addition, any change to a school bus could be in violation of the manufacturer warranty.”

“NASDPTS fully supports required installation and use of lap/shoulder belts in new school buses,” the paper concluded. “When school buses are equipped with lap/shoulder belts, a mandatory usage policy must also be in place, along with necessary training of employees and students on the importance of wearing and using the belts properly. Training and procedures must include effective evacuation training and drills.”

The association recommends that state directors and industry leaders should work together to ensure that legislators and other state policy makers “are educated on the existing safety record of school buses. Their discussions should emphasize the added safety benefits provided by lap/shoulder belts and the need to ensure that funding levels and service requirements support the availability of school buses to serve parents’ and students’ needs.”

NASDPTS also commented on commonly cited reasons from seatbelt opponents why school buses should only rely on compartmentalization to protect passengers. The paper states that modern seat and belts designs now largely maintain bus ridership capacity and minimize the risk of the belts being used by students as weapons. Additionally, NASDTS said buckles are designed for easy release to aide in fast evacuation in the case of an emergency.

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LATHAM, N.Y. – With schools reopening statewide and as students head back to school, the New York Association for Pupil Transportation (NYAPT) is urging motorists to use extra caution around school buses and stop when they see the flashing red lights.

According to reports from school bus operators from across the state, NYAPT says the problem of illegally passing a school bus remains a major safety concern across the state. School bus operators indicate that motorists frequently ignore flashing red lights and thereby endanger those students getting on an off the bus.

A recent survey conducted by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS) indicated that 213,800 illegal passings occur each school day in the United States, endangering the children riding school buses.

“Our top priority is ensuring New York students travel to and from school safely every day, and motorists play a crucial role in that,” said NYAPT President John Spacht. “As schools reopen, we ask motorists to stay vigilant around children and always stop when a school bus has its red lights flashing.”

New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law requires all vehicles to come to a complete stop when approaching a school bus that is stopped with its red lights flashing. Flashing red lights indicate that a child is either boarding or disembarking the bus. New York State law prohibits passing a school bus that is stopped with its red lights flashing, regardless of your direction of travel, even on a multi-lane or divided highway.

Penalties for a first-time offense include a fine from $250 to $400, five points on your license and the possibility of 30-days in jail. A second conviction within three-years will result in a $600 to $750 fine and up
to 180-days in jail; while three or more convictions will result in a fine from $750 to $1,000, mandatory revocation of your driver’s license, and up to 180 days in jail.

Additionally, many school buses in New York State are equipped with stop arm camera systems that record illegal passing. If a motorist passes a school bus equipped with a stop arm camera system, the vehicle owner faces a $250-$300 penalty.

“Illegally passing a bus is completely unacceptable and entirely preventable,” said David Christopher, NYAPT Executive Director. “School buses are statistically the safest way for children to get to school—and motorists need to help us keep them safe by always stopping when they see those red lights flashing.”

NYAPT is also advising parents and caregivers that New York, like much of the nation, continues to face school bus driver shortages. According to a recent survey, 55% of NYAPT members, which include school districts and private school bus contractors, report an immediate need to hire additional school bus drivers.

To help address these driver shortages, the Association encourages anyone seeking a rewarding parttime opportunity to apply. School bus driving offers flexible hours, competitive hourly wages, health benefits, and schedules that align with school holidays and breaks. Interested applicants should contact their local school district or private school bus contractor to learn more.

About NYAPT
The New York Association for Pupil Transportation (nyapt.org) is a statewide organization dedicated to supporting and representing school transportation professionals responsible for the safe and efficient transportation of more than 2.3 million school children across New York State.

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Industry conferences are gearing up for the fall season, and agendas are being released with the latest and greatest information for student transportation professionals who are heading back to work for the new school year.

The National Association for Pupil Transportation’s 49th Annual Conference and Trade Show, NAPT ACTS 2026, will take place Oct. 3–7, 2026, in Louisville, Kentucky. This year’s theme, “Building Leaders for the Route Ahead,” emphasizes leadership development, professional learning and stronger connections across the student transportation community.

The five-day program is designed for transportation directors, fleet and maintenance professionals, trainers, routers, safety specialists and other school transportation leaders. It includes more than 40 sessions and workshops, over 10 NAPT Professional Development Series courses, and four certification pathways. Topics cover operational safety, crisis communication, data-driven decision-making, strategic and facility planning, student behavior, transporting students with disabilities, workforce retention, preventive maintenance, regulatory compliance and transportation technology.

Specialized programming includes workshops for new directors and maintenance teams, a national transportation briefing, recertification sessions and a Transportation Directors Executive Forum.

The trade show takes place Oct. 5, where attendees can explore school transportation products, technology and services and connect directly with industry suppliers.

Networking is built throughout the event through a first timers’ breakfast, marketplace sessions, receptions, regional assemblies, social events and sponsor demonstrations. The keynote, “Achieving Rock Star Status in Your Profession,” will be delivered by drummer and leadership speaker Kenny Aronoff, drawing lessons from high-performance music environments about teamwork, communication, creativity and collaboration.

Nearly a month later, the Transporting Students with Disabilities and Special Needs Conference kicks off, hosting a Transportation Director Summit for the first time. Hosted by School Transportation News, the event will take place Nov. 4–10, 2026, in Frisco, Texas, and brings together school transportation and special-education professionals from across the country to improve the safety, accessibility and quality of transportation provided to students with disabilities and preschool-age children.

The conference is intended for transportation directors, fleet managers, driver trainers, school bus drivers, aides and monitors, special-education professionals, Head Start and childcare staff, superintendents, executives, manufacturers and industry suppliers. Its program combines educational sessions, hands-on training, product demonstrations and networking opportunities focused specifically on the operational and legal challenges of specialized student transportation.

Educational topics include individualized education and transportation plan development, funding amid the U.S. Department of Education moving IDEA to Health and Human Services, student-data protection, positive behavior support, transporting medically fragile students, wheelchair securement, school bus aide and monitor training, updated national specifications, and the use of artificial intelligence in transportation operations. The program also includes American Sign Language training, child-passenger safety instruction and sessions addressing accessibility and inclusive transportation practices.

A major component of the event is its specialized training. Attendees can participate in a national course on child-passenger safety aboard school buses, including hands-on practice with child safety restraint systems for preschoolers and students with disabilities. Other experiences include wheelchair-securement training, a special-needs transportation roadeo and workshops that allow participants to practice procedures rather than learning exclusively through classroom presentations.

New for 2026 is the two-day Transportation Director Summit, held Nov. 4–5. This limited-capacity program is designed for qualified transportation directors and fleet leaders and focuses on leadership, trust, innovation, peer problem-solving and collaboration with manufacturers and suppliers. Participants will take part in expert presentations, small-group discussions and structured networking before the main conference begins.

The TSD Trade Show will feature dozens of exhibitors presenting specialized buses, wheelchair and occupant-restraint equipment, safety systems, fleet software, video technology and other products developed for transporting students with additional needs. A trade-show reception provides attendees with an informal setting to meet suppliers, examine equipment and discuss potential solutions for their local operations.

Related: New Date Set for NHTSA Child Passenger Safety Training at TSD
Related: Update: Transfinder Sweeps 2026 STN EXPO West Innovation Choice Awards
Related: Illegal School Bus Passing Numbers Indicate Decrease, Still Too Many
Related: Ohio State Highway Patrol Urges Motorists to Prioritize School Bus Safety
Related: School Bus Driver Shortages Create Wider Consequences for Students

Later that week, the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services Annual Conference kicks off, Nov. 14-17 at The Ritz-Carlton, in Arlington, Virginia. The members-only event brings together state pupil transportation directors, state agency staff, transportation association leaders, federal officials, manufacturers, suppliers and other industry professionals.

The conference focuses on policy, regulation, safety and operational issues affecting school transportation at the state and national levels. Its location near Washington, D.C., gives attendees the opportunity to hear directly from federal transportation and safety partners. Invited agencies include the National Transportation Safety Board, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and Transportation Security Administration.

Educational sessions address training, transportation for students with special needs, school bus crash investigations and emerging trends in pupil transportation. State directors will also lead discussions about the most significant challenges facing school transportation programs, allowing attendees to compare policies, share practices and examine how different states are responding to common safety and operational concerns.

The event also includes keynote presentations, group meals and networking opportunities intended to strengthen collaboration among government agencies, state transportation leaders and private-sector partners. Unlike a traditional trade show, NASDPTS hosts a smaller Supplier Showcase and Networking Session, scheduled for Nov. 15. The tabletop format allows suppliers to present products, services and industry innovations while meeting directly with state directors and other transportation decision-makers.

Written with the assistance of AI.

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DENVER, Colo. — Despite a decline in the number of illegal passers, the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS) said the problem is far from resolved.

In the most recent one-day count of illegal passers, announced Tuesday at the National School Transportation Association Annual Meeting and Convention, NASDPTS Executive Director Ronna Weber said 101,334 participating school bus drivers, accounting for 26.2 percent of the nation’s school bus drivers throughout 39 states and the District of Columbia, reported that 56,024 vehicles passed their buses illegally on a single day during the 2025-2026 school year.

Adjusting for 100 percent of the school bus drivers in the U.S., NASDPTS extrapolated just over 213,800 illegal passings each day. Projected across a 180-day school year, the agency noted that these sample results point to more than 38.4 million violations per year among the motoring public.

“As the projected violations for the 2024-2025 school year were 39.3 million, and the projected violations for the 2023-2024 school year were 45.2 million violations, we are noticing a trend in the reduction of the number of illegal passings,” NASDPTS said via a press release. “The problem of illegal passings, however, is far from resolved.”

NASDPTS President Mike Stier of the Illinois State Board of Education noted that while the state directors are pleased to see another reduction in the number of illegal passings, “38.4 million illegal passings is still entirely too many.”

He added that NASDPTS “continues to encourage each state to raise awareness on this important safety issue and to do everything possible to ensure motorists put the safety of school children first.”

Illegal Passing Survey Indicates Latest Violation Trends

When looking at the data, on average, the survey recorded about one violation for every two bus drivers participating in the voluntary survey. Afternoon routes accounted for the largest share of violations, with 28,596 illegal passes reported, representing 51 percent of the total. Morning routes accounted for 25,707 violations, or nearly 46 percent. Midday routes represented just over 3 percent with 1,721 incidents.

Most violations involved motorists approaching from the opposite direction. Plus, nearly 64 percent of illegal passes occurred from the front of the school bus, compared with about 36 percent from the rear.

Florida reported the highest overall number of violations, followed by California, Georgia and Texas. Together, those four states accounted for roughly 60 percent of all reported incidents. However, state-by-state comparisons should be viewed cautiously because participation levels varied and the survey did not account for route mileage, traffic volume, number of stops or roadway type.

The 11th annual survey began in 2014 and since has only missed 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 and the resulting school closures across the country.

“In recent years, several states have increased penalties for violations, authorized the use of photo evidence for issuing citations, or enacted other measures designed to deter this dangerous practice,” NASDPTS said.

Related: WATCH: West Virginia Releases Illegal Passing Awareness Video
Related: Scientific Approach to Illegal Passing Issue Coming to STN EXPO West
Related: WATCH: Michigan Association Releases Illegal Passing PSA for School Bus Safety Week
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At STN EXPO West last week, Michael Hout, Ph.D., the associate dean for research at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico, delivered a comprehensive scientific perspective on the persistent problem of illegal school bus stop arm passing. Collaborating with Ward Leber and the Child Safety Network, Hout drew on his expertise in psychology and kinesiology, focusing on visual attention, perception, memory, decision making, and the phenomenon of “look but fail to see errors.”

During his session he emphasized the limitations of violation counts, advocating for more comprehensive data that include legal stops, routes, communities, time of day, and baseline denominators. He referenced the NASDPTS one-day survey, noting that while it’s a start, it’s not a full representation of the problem. Because drivers are counting these instances themselves, he added, there is a margin of error.

He recommended supplementing human observation with video cameras and other assistive tools. Behaviors such as reaction times, fixations, braking, steering, and eye movement control are where recording errors can occur, he noted.

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