AAA warns of school bus dangers as Missouri increases penalties for drivers

FOX23 News at 9 p.m

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) — As students return to classrooms, AAA is warning drivers that some of the most dangerous moments of the school day can happen while children are getting on or off a school bus.

AAA analyzed 10 years of fatal crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and identified 72 children ages 5 to 18 who were killed in bus stop-related crashes nationwide between 2015 and 2024. Three-quarters were hit while boarding or exiting a school bus.

“The biggest things that kids need to be worried about is, they’re in a danger zone in two different ways,” AAA spokesperson Carly McKinnis said.

The data shows the danger can change depending on the time of day. Two-thirds of fatal crashes involving another vehicle happened during morning pickup, while children were more likely to be struck by the school bus itself during afternoon drop-off.

“In the morning time when folks are busy, they’re rushing off to work,” McKinnis said. “They may be distracted by coffee, the kids in the back seat, who knows. Then after school, when kids are getting off the bus, we’re more likely to see kids being hit by the bus itself.”

Younger children accounted for the largest share of the deaths. AAA found 58% of the victims were between 5 and 10 years old.

Of the 36 children struck by a school bus, nearly two-thirds were hit by the front-center of the bus. AAA says children standing too close to the front bumper can fall into a bus driver’s blind spot.

The analysis also found distraction played a role in many crashes. Among the 40 cases where investigators could determine the driver’s attention status, 48% involved a distracted or inattentive driver.

Speed was not always the determining factor. Half of the fatal crashes occurred on roads with posted speed limits of 35 mph or below.

“Right now everything is changing. Kids don’t even know what’s going on. They don’t know where they’re supposed to be,” McKinnis said. “And so you really need to be watching for kids darting out.”

The warning comes as Missouri prepares to increase penalties for drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses.

Gov. Mike Kehoe signed Senate Bill 1421 into law July 9. The legislation includes changes to Missouri’s school bus passing laws and is scheduled to take effect Aug. 28.

Under the new law:

• First offense: $500 to $1,000 fine
• Second offense within five years: $1,000 to $2,000 fine
• Third or subsequent offense within five years: $1,500 to $3,000 fine
• Each conviction: Five points added to the driver’s license
• Physical injury to a child: Class E felony, up to four years in prison and up to a $5,000 fine
• Serious physical injury to a child: Class D felony, up to seven years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine

“It is the law in 50 states that you stop when that cross arm pops out on the side of the bus, and the bus is a 40-foot-long, bright yellow rectangle that’s lit up like a Christmas tree,” McKinnis said.

AAA says illegal passing remains widespread nationwide.

A survey conducted during the 2025-26 school year found more than 56,000 vehicles illegally passed stopped school buses in a single day among participating drivers. When scaled nationwide, the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services estimated about 213,800 illegal passes happen each day, or more than 38 million during a 180-day school year.