Police agencies across Michigan are wrapping up "Operation Safe Stop" on Friday, October 23, a statewide enforcement campaign run October 19-23 alongside National School Bus Safety Week. Participating agencies worked with local school districts on education and enforcement, focusing on drivers who ignore the flashing red lights and extended stop-arm of a school bus that is picking up or dropping off students, according to the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP).
Source: Michigan.gov — MSP newsroom
The numbers behind the campaign are stark. According to the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center, there were 1,189 crashes involving a school bus in Michigan in 2025 — a 14 percent increase over 1,044 in 2024. Of those, 82 crashes happened at school bus stops where the bus lights and stop-arms were activated, recording 35 injuries and no fatalities. A one-day survey conducted by 1,738 Michigan school bus drivers in May 2026 reported 950 incidents in which a motorist passed a school bus illegally.
Source: Michigan.gov — MSP newsroom
Near misses that drove the campaign
Officials cited two near misses in 2026. In May, an 11-year-old student in the Milan Area School District was nearly struck after a vehicle passed a stopped bus along a school route in Washtenaw County; the child was not injured but was badly shaken. In September, an elementary student in Bedford Township stepped off a bus with its red lights and stop-arm activated, and a vehicle driven by a 19-year-old passed the bus on the right, missing the child by mere inches before driving away without stopping.
Source: 9&10 News
What drivers must do — and what it costs if they don't
Drivers should prepare to stop when they see a school bus's overhead yellow lights flashing, and stop at least 20 feet away when the lights turn red. Passing a stopped school bus can bring a civil infraction with a fine of up to $500. Passing and causing an injury is a misdemeanor carrying a fine of up to $1,000 and/or up to one year in jail, and causing a death is a felony carrying a fine of up to $7,500 and/or up to 15 years in jail, according to the OHSP release. "Drivers have an obligation to know and obey the laws regarding when to stop for a school bus," said Alicia Sledge, director of the OHSP.
Source: Michigan.gov — MSP newsroom
Operation Safe Stop is a collaborative effort between the OHSP, Dean Transportation and the Michigan Association of Pupil Transportation. For families in Michigan — including Punjabi families whose children ride school buses and drivers who share morning routes with them — Friday is the last day of the stepped-up patrols, but the law and its penalties apply every school day.