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HARRISBURG -- "There is nothing more important than stopping for children approaching and exiting school buses," said state Sen. Judy Ward, R-Blair, during a news conference Wednesday to highlight National School Bus Safety Week.
During the event held at the State Capitol in Harrisburg, Ward urged residents to obey traffic laws.
"It is illegal to pass a stopped school bus in every state," she said.
Sen. Scott Martin, R-Lancaster, along with Ward, plan to introduce a resolution to designate Oct. 20-24, 2025, as School Bus Safety Week in Pennsylvania. Aligning with National School Bus Safety Week, the resolution aims to spotlight critical safety measures and acknowledge the vital role of school bus drivers in ensuring the safe and timely travel of Pennsylvania children.
"Each year, approximately 450,000 school buses travel around 4.3 billion miles nationwide, transporting about 23.5 million students to and from school and school-related activities," Martin said. "Whether we are parents, bus drivers, motorists, or even lawmakers, we all have a role to play in making sure every one of these trips is completed safely."
Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Luzerne, recently introduced Senate Bill 65, which aims to enhance the safe transportation of school children by extending the stopping distance requirement for a driver approaching a stopped school bus from 10 feet to 15 feet when the bus's red signal lights are flashing and the side stop arm is activated. The bill would also develop a tiered penalty system for a second or subsequent offense.
"Over the years, we have changed laws, enhanced enforcement and increased penalties to make it safer for children to load onto and depart from a school bus. Unfortunately, we continue to receive reports of drivers who recklessly choose to speed up rather than slow down," Baker said. "In consultation with public safety officials, we have determined that strengthening the consequences for risky, life-threatening behavior is necessary to deal with those who refuse to comply with common sense and considerate driving practices."
“School bus safety is not just a priority," said Gerry Wosewick, executive director of the Pennsylvania School Bus Association. "It’s a promise we make to every family in Pennsylvania. Every day our drivers and contractors uphold that promise by ensuring the ride to and from school remains the safest part of a child's day. The PSBA is proud to stand alongside principled leaders committed to ensuring the safety of the future leaders of our commonwealth.”
About 1.5 million children travel on a school bus each day in Pennsylvania. Failure to stop for a school bus may result in criminal penalties, including a 60-day license suspension, five points on the driving record and a $250 fine. A person who illegally passes a stopped school bus with an automated stop arm enforcement system is civilly liable for a $300 fine.