Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


To ensure students’ safety when traveling to and from school, police officers locally and across Michigan will be ramping up patrols looking for drivers illegally passing school buses.

“Operation Safe Stop” (OSS) is a statewide enforcement campaign that will be conducted starting today, October 21st, through Friday the 25th - in conjunction with School Bus Safety Week.

Participating police agencies will work with their local school districts during Safety Week to provide education and enforcement for their communities.

Some of the area partnering agencies include Fenton, Chelsea, and Novi Police, as well as the Genesee and Oakland County Sheriff’s Offices.

OSS enforcement efforts will focus on drivers who ignore the flashing red lights and extended “Stop” arm of a school bus that is stopped to pick up or drop off students.

According to the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center (CJIC), in 2023 in Michigan:

-There were 988 crashes involving school buses. In those 988 crashes, five people were killed, including one student. None of the victims, however, were riding on school buses.

-There were 73 crashes that occurred at school bus stops, where the bus lights and Stop arms were activated. Of those 73 bus stop crashes, there were 31 injuries—some of which were life-changing.

-The majority of school bus-involved crashes occurred between 3 p.m. and 5:59 p.m., and October had the highest number of school bus-involved crashes (134).


A one-day survey conducted by Michigan school bus drivers in May 2024 reported 1,362 incidents where a motorist passed a school bus illegally.

CEO of Dean Transportation Kellie Dean said “Every time a driver ignores the flashing lights or Stop arm of a school bus, they are putting a student’s life in danger. ‘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 flash red.

Drivers who pass stopped school buses may be charged with civil infractions carrying a fine of up to $500. Drivers who pass a stopped school bus and cause an injury face a misdemeanor charge and a fine of 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 with a fine of up to $7,500 and/or up to 15 years in jail.

For more information about OSS and school bus safety, visit the provided link.