Photo by Maurice Mercado
Annual Report Shows School Bus Safety Program Improving Driver Behavior and Protecting Students
The results of the County’s 2025-2026 School Bus Safety Program Annual Report, showing a 23.8% reduction in illegal school bus passing violations during the program’s first full year. Since launching in partnership with BusPatrol during National School Bus Safety Week in October 2024, the initiative has improved driver compliance, strengthened enforcement and helped make trips to and from school safer for thousands of students across Westchester County.
The report found that citations requiring enforcement declined from 17,867 during the 2024-2025 school year to 13,621 through June of the 2025-2026 school year, while average monthly violations dropped from 1,786 to 1,513. The findings suggest motorists are changing their behavior around stopped school buses, reducing dangerous passing incidents that put children at risk.
Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said: “Nothing is more important than the safety of our children. This report shows that our School Bus Safety Program is changing driver behavior and making our roads safer for students traveling to and from school. While we are encouraged by this progress, every illegal passing violation is one too many, and we will continue working with our school districts and law enforcement partners to protect our children.”
Westchester County launched the School Bus Safety Program in October 2024 in partnership with BusPatrol to address the growing number of motorists illegally passing stopped school buses. Using AI-powered stop-arm cameras installed on every bus in participating school districts’ fleets, the program captures violations, which are reviewed by law enforcement before citations are issued.
The annual report also found that only 4.92% of citations involved repeat offenders, indicating that enforcement is successfully encouraging safer driving habits. Data collected through the program is also helping identify high-risk roadways, with approximately 31% of enforcement activity concentrated among the County’s top 20 locations, allowing officials to better target future education and safety efforts.
The School Bus Safety Program currently serves students in 22 participating school districts: Lakeland, Mamaroneck, Ossining, Eastchester, Tarrytown, Blind Brook-Rye, Rye Neck, Katonah-Lewisboro, Greenburgh, Hendrick Hudson, Croton-Harmon, Tuckahoe, Irvington, Bedford Central, Bronxville, Pelham, Ardsley, Yorktown Central, Briarcliff Manor, Port Chester-Rye, Mount Pleasant Central and Harrison. The technology is installed, operated and maintained at no cost to school districts or taxpayers.
Westchester County will continue working with its school district partners and BusPatrol to monitor trends, identify high-risk corridors and educate motorists about New York State’s school bus stopping law. County officials hope the program’s continued success will further reduce illegal passing violations and ensure every child can travel to and from school safely.