New Partnership Between Child Safety Network™ and BusGates® Aims to Reduce School Bus Stop Dangers Nationwide

National partnership aims to end the 45 million annual illegal school bus passings and save children’s lives through advanced safety technology.

SPRINGFIELD, IL, UNITED STATES, November 11, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Child Safety Network™ (CSN™) is pleased to announce its collaboration with BusGates^® to combat a growing national crisis: drivers illegally passing stopped school buses. Every day, tens of thousands of motorists ignore flashing red lights and extended stop arms—so‑called “stop‑arm runners”—putting children’s lives in danger. According to a recent national survey, school bus drivers reported 66,322 illegal passing incidents in a single day, which projects to over 45 million such violations in one school year. Each of these violations is a potential tragedy, and BusGates is teaming with CSN to stop them and save children’s lives.

The statistics paint a sobering picture of the danger at school bus stops. Between 2000 and 2021, drivers who failed to stop for school buses caused 53 fatalities, nearly half of them school‑age children. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) warns that the most dangerous part of a child’s school bus ride is not on the bus but when they are getting on or off the bus, where children are most vulnerable to being struck by an illegally passing vehicle. Alarmingly, during the last school year alone, two students were struck and killed by motorists who illegally passed their stopped school buses. “Every time a driver illegally passes a stopped school bus, they’re putting children’s lives at risk,” said BusGates co‑founder Jeff Stauffer. “As a parent, that is unacceptable. Our stop‑arm extension technology is designed to combat this behavior head‑on by making the obligation to stop impossible to ignore.”

Through this partnership, BusGates and CSN aim to dramatically reduce these preventable incidents. BusGates has developed an innovative LED‑lit stop‑arm extension that attaches to a school bus’s existing stop arm. When the bus stops, the extension swings out nearly five feet from the side of the bus, reinforcing a visual and physical barrier that drivers cannot overlook.

In effect, the extended stop arm acts like a railroad crossing gate, forcing drivers to stop well in advance of the bus—before tragedy can strike. Field results from school districts already using BusGates are compelling: some districts saw their daily illegal‑passing incidents drop from multiple occurrences to zero after installing the extensions. Early adopters have reported reductions in vehicles illegally passing stopped buses of up to 95%, thanks to the enhanced visibility and deterrence the extended stop arms provide.

Ward Leber, founder of Child Safety Network, praised the collaboration as a critical step toward safer roads for students. “No parent should have to fear for their child’s life at the bus stop,” Leber said. “The numbers are staggering—tens of millions of violations each year—and each one is a child’s close call or worse. We refuse to accept this as the status quo. By partnering with CSN, BusGates is taking action to ensure every driver gets the message that when a school bus stops, we all must stop. Together, we can end these near‑misses and protect our children.”

The BusGates–Child Safety Network collaboration will combine technology, education, and advocacy to tackle the stop‑arm running epidemic on a national scale. CSN will leverage its nationwide network to promote the adoption of BusGates’ life‑saving stop‑arm extensions and to educate communities about school bus safety. “With millions of violations happening every year, we can’t afford to treat this as a localized issue. It’s a national problem that demands national attention and real solutions,” said BusGates co‑founder Trevor Clatfelter.

By joining forces, BusGates and CSN are pairing cutting‑edge safety equipment with public awareness campaigns and legislative outreach. Their shared mission is simple: ensure every child gets to school and back home safely. This partnership is a proactive call to drivers, lawmakers, and school districts across the country to take immediate action so that not one more family has to suffer a preventable loss on the way to or from school.

Since 1989, The Child Safety Network™ (CSN™) has been dedicated to preventing the abuse, abduction, injury, and exploitation of children, youth, and young adults across America. CSN unites parents, educators, transportation professionals, law enforcement, and corporate sponsors who share a commitment to protecting the youth and future of our nation. Through its free educational resources, advanced safety technology, endorsements of evidence-based safety and security products and services, and its time-honored national awareness campaigns, CSN helps parents raise safer, healthier families and builds stronger communities. Guided by nationally recognized volunteer subject-matter experts and supported by caring brands, celebrities, and media partners, CSN continues its mission to make every child’s journey—from pre-K through graduation—safer.

Leandra Backner
CSN
+1 800-906-6901 ext. 76
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