OLYMPIA, Wash. – As students head back to school, a recent survey by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS) highlights the ongoing issue of drivers illegally passing stopped school buses.

In Washington state, over 3,000 school bus drivers participated in the 2025 NASDPTS survey , reporting 1,156 instances of illegal passing in just one day.

This suggests that drivers could be illegally passing school buses more than 200,000 times annually across the state.

With over 340,000 K–12 students relying on school buses daily in Washington, it is crucial for drivers to remember the laws surrounding school bus safety.

State law mandates that drivers must stop for school buses with flashing red lights or an extended stop sign on two-lane roads, re

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