When the Reds are Flashing, There is No Passing: Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Driver Ryan Preece Reminds Drivers to Protect Students on the Road
Livonia, MI — October 20, 2025 — During National School Bus Safety Week, organizations from across the country are joining together, including Michigan Association for Pupil Transportation, the National School Transportation Association, Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) Racing, Blue Bird Corporation and ROUSH CleanTech are joining the nationwide call to remind motorists that stopping for a school bus is not optional—it’s the law and a matter of life and death.
To raise awareness, RFK Racing driver Ryan Preece appears in a new video campaign showing that even professional drivers stop for school buses. In the video, Preece, who drives the No. 60 car, reinforces the message that safety around school buses is everyone’s responsibility—no matter your experience behind the wheel.
This message is especially critical in light of new findings released by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS). Each school day, millions of students across the U.S. depend on the yellow school bus—the safest form of student transportation—to get to and from school. Yet, new data from the NASDPTS reveals that illegal passings of stopped school buses remain a major threat to student safety.
According to NASDPTS’s thirteenth annual National Stop Arm Violation Survey, 114,239 school bus drivers in 36 states and the District of Columbia reported 67,258 vehicles illegally passing their stopped buses in just one day during the 2024–2025 school year. When projected across all U.S. school bus drivers, that’s more than 39.3 million violations per year. Although this marks a decrease from 45.2 million violations in the previous year, the issue remains alarming.
“Even with these corrected numbers, the illegal passing of stopped school buses continues to be the greatest safety danger to children,” said NASDPTS President Mike Stier. “Regardless of the number, 39.3 million violations is simply too many. We continue 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.”
The annual survey, conducted since 2011, highlights the ongoing need for education, enforcement, and vigilance to prevent these dangerous incidents. In recent years, several states have strengthened penalties, authorized camera-based enforcement, and implemented new awareness campaigns—all steps toward safer roads for students.
“Every time a driver illegally passes a stopped school bus, they put a child’s life at risk,” said Katrina Morris, Executive Director at Michigan Association for Pupil Transportation. “Stopping for a school bus takes only a few seconds, but it can prevent a lifetime of heartache. We urge all motorists to slow down, stay alert, and always stop when red lights are flashing.”
For more information about school bus safety and to view the 2025 NASDPTS Stop Arm Violation Survey results, visit https://www.nasdpts.org/stop-arm-violations.
