During the enforcement, officers will look for drivers illegally passing stopped school buses
Several near-miss incidents involving school bus riders in Michigan in 2026 highlight the need to better protect children getting on and off school buses.
• In May, an 11-year-old student in the Milan Area School District was nearly struck after a vehicle passed a stopped bus along a school route in Washtenaw County. The child was not injured but was badly shaken.
• In September, an elementary student in Bedford Township stepped off a school bus that had its red flashing lights and stop-arm activated. A vehicle driven by a 19-year-old sped past the bus on the right side, missing the child by mere inches before driving away without stopping.
To ensure students’ safety when traveling to and from school, police officers across Michigan will be ramping up patrols looking for drivers illegally passing school buses.
“Operation Safe Stop” is a statewide enforcement campaign that will be conducted October 19-23 in conjunction with National School Bus Safety Week. Participating police agencies will work with their local school districts during the week to provide education and enforcement for their communities. “Operation Safe Stop” enforcement efforts will focus on drivers who ignore the flashing red lights and extended stop-arm of a school bus that is picking up or dropping off students.
According to the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center, in 2025 in Michigan, there were 1,189 crashes involving a school bus, with 82 crashes occurring at school bus stops, where the bus lights and stop-arms were activated. Of the 82 crashes, there were no fatalities, but 35 injuries were recorded. The 1,189 crashes in 2025 represent a 14 percent increase over the 1,044 crashes in 2024.
“Drivers have an obligation to know and obey the laws regarding when to stop for a school bus,” said Alicia Sledge, director of the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP). “Ensuring our students are safe during loading and unloading must be a priority for everyone.”
A one-day survey, conducted by 1,738 Michigan school bus drivers in May 2026 reported 950 incidents where a motorist passed a school bus illegally.
“Every time drivers ignore the flashing lights or stop-arm of a school bus, they are putting a student’s life in danger,” said Kellie Dean, CEO of Dean Transportation. “‘Operation Safe Stop’ will help keep students safe and will educate drivers on how to safely share the road with buses.”
Drivers should prepare to stop when they see the overhead flashing yellow lights of a school bus and stop at least 20 feet away from a bus when the overhead lights are flashing red. Drivers who pass stopped school buses may be charged with civil infractions carrying a fine up to $500. Drivers who pass a stopped school bus and cause an injury face a misdemeanor charge and a fine up to $1,000 and/or up to one year in jail. Drivers who pass a stopped school bus and cause a death are subject to a felony charge with a fine up to $7,500 and/or up to 15 years in jail.
“Operation Safe Stop” is a collaborative effort between the OHSP, Dean Transportation, and the Michigan Association of Pupil Transportation. For more information about the enforcement and school bus safety, please visit
Michigan.gov/SchoolBusSafety.
Editor’s note: For detailed information about Michigan’s school bus laws, please refer to MCL 257.682.
