Arkansas Department of Education Division of Elementary and Secondary Education National School Bus Illegal Passing Survey

Memo Information

Memo Number
FT-23-004
Memo Date
4/3/2023
Memo Type
Informational
Unit
Facilities & Transportation
Regulatory Authority
Response Required
YES
Attention
Assistant Superintendent; Superintendents

Primary Contact Information

Secondary Contact/s Information

Memo Text

At the request of the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS), the Arkansas Division of Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation (Division) will conduct a one-day survey of illegal passing incidents involving school district buses.  NASDPTS and the Division will use the results to determine the prevalence of illegal passing of school buses and to help improve safety countermeasures at the state and national level.

It is extremely important that all Arkansas school districts ensure all their drivers participate in the one-day survey. 

On Tuesday, April 25, 2023, each school district’s school bus operators should observe any instances of motorists illegally passing the school bus and report the incidents to his/her supervisor. The attached form should be used by the driver to report the number of illegal passings to their transportation director.

Please direct your drivers to the bottom of the form where they are instructed to “report only illegal passes that occur while the bus driver is stopped with red warning lights flashing and stop arm(s) deployed in full compliance with our state training and procedures.” 

Please instruct all drivers to pay attention to all safety precautions.  As always, the driver’s primary duty is to the safety of the students.

School districts should record the district totals and report them using the attached Illegal Passing transportation director form.  The completed form should be emailed to janet.clarke@ade.arkansas.gov.

School districts should submit results for every driver even if no violations occur.

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