All 100 senators back school bus safety month for 13th year

The U.S. Senate has again recognized September as School Bus Safety Month, extending a bipartisan effort that now spans 13 years. The resolution highlights school bus safety risks, honors transportation workers, and calls for stronger public awareness as students travel to and from school.

Why it matters: - School buses are the largest form of mass transportation in the United States. - In an average year, 48% of students in kindergarten through grade 12 ride a school bus. - School buses travel more than 4 billion miles during the school year. - Tens of millions of illegal passes of stopped school buses happen annually, putting children at risk near boarding and unloading zones. - The resolution is meant to push safer driving, better training and broader use of safety countermeasures and technology.

What happened: - The U.S. Senate recognized September 2026 as School Bus Safety Month for the 13th consecutive year. - Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., led the bipartisan resolution. - Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., served as the lead Democratic co-sponsor for the sixth and final year before his planned retirement from the Senate. - Fischer said she was proud to introduce School Bus Safety Month with Peters and support transportation professionals who protect students. - Peters said parents need peace of mind that children will get to school and home safely. - Peters also said the resolution promotes safe driving and advanced training for school bus professionals.

The details: - Child Safety Network has spent 37 years working on child safety through public education, partnerships, training, technology and free resources. - CSN’s Safe Ride campaign supports the school bus industry with driver training, technology and resources for transportation professionals, students, parents and communities. - CSN provides free downloadable video education for tens of millions of students in kindergarten through grade 6. - The video materials cover school-bus danger zones, safe boarding and disembarking, emergency evacuation, pedestrian safety and bullying prevention aboard buses. - CSN and its partners say security-awareness training materials have reached more than 14,000 school districts. - CSN and its partners say they have trained more than 131,000 transportation professionals. - CSN and its partners say they have provided access to more than 181,000 counterterrorism guides. - The 2026 resolution calls for collaboration among local, state and federal authorities, higher education institutions, school transportation professionals, safety organizations, technology providers and other partners. - The resolution also encourages broadcast, digital-media and social-networking industries to share public-service messages. - The resolution recognizes school bus operators and transportation professionals and urges motorists to drive more safely near school buses. - Former Colorado state Sen. Don Coram, now president of Child Safety Network Colorado, said CSN is working with the industry to share best practices and expand Safe Ride nationwide. - The press release links to more information about Sen. Deb Fischer, Sen. Gary Peters and Child Safety Network.

Between the lines: - The 13th straight year of Senate recognition suggests School Bus Safety Month has become a durable bipartisan vehicle for student-transportation safety. - Peters' final year as lead Democratic co-sponsor gives the campaign a transition moment, even as the resolution keeps unanimous support in the Senate. - The focus on danger zones, illegal passing and driver behavior signals that the biggest risks often happen outside the bus, not inside it.

What's next: - CSN and its partners are continuing outreach to transportation professionals, schools, families and safety advocates. - The resolution aims to keep school-bus safety messaging active throughout the year, not just in September. - CSN says it will continue working with the industry on best practices and national expansion of Safe Ride.