Monroe, MI – The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office is joining a nationwide campaign this week urging drivers to stop when school bus lights are flashing red, warning that failure to do so puts children’s lives at risk.
According to the Michigan Association for Pupil Transportation and the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS), National School Bus Safety Week highlights the critical importance of driver awareness around school buses.
“Stopping for a school bus only takes a few seconds, but it can prevent a lifetime of heartache,” said Katrina Morris, Executive Director of the Michigan Association for Pupil Transportation.
The campaign features NASCAR driver Ryan Preece of Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing in a new video PSA reminding drivers that even professionals stop for school buses. Preece’s message: safety around school buses is everyone’s responsibility.
Recent data from NASDPTS’ 2025 Stop Arm Violation Survey shows illegal passings of stopped school buses remain alarmingly high, with 114,239 bus drivers in 36 states reporting more than 67,000 violations in a single day. When projected nationwide, that equates to over 39 million violations annually.
Sheriff Troy Goodnough’s office urges drivers to “slow down, stay alert, and always stop when red lights are flashing.” Officials emphasize that passing a stopped bus is not only illegal but a matter of life and death.
For more information on school bus safety and survey results, visit https://www.nasdpts.org/stop-arm-violations.
