Where school zone speeding, failure to stop for a school bus infractions occur most in PA

More than a quarter of all traffic offenses involving school zones and school buses in Pennsylvania occur in the first two months of the school year as drivers adjust to lower speed limits and the return of big yellow buses to the roads, according to data released by the PA Courts in August.

September and October account for 15% and 14%, respectively, of all school zone speeding and failure to stop for a school bus citations over the nine-month period in which school is in full swing. The months of November, January, February, March, April and May each account for about 10% of offenses, and December, when schools are closed for a week or more for the holidays, accounts for just 4%.

It’s in these initial months of classes when state and local law enforcement ramp up educational and enforcement efforts.

Where in Pa. are most school safety citations issued?

The PA Courts data, pulled from the Magistrate District Judge System, reveal where these offenses happen the most across Pennsylvania

A USA Today Network Pennsylvania analysis found that Jefferson County, in the west-central region of the Keystone State, ranked first in the number of citations per 1,000 residents over the five-year period from 2020 through 2024. For every 1,000 people, there were 8.9 citations for either speeding in a school zone and meeting/overtaking a school bus. Its top ranking for overall offenses was driven largely by speeding in a school zone violations, which it also led the state in with 8.2 per 1,000 people.

Butler County led the state in failing to stop for a school bus.

Top 5 counties per 1,000 residents: Total citations

• Jefferson County, 8.9 offenses per 1,000 residents
• Montgomery County, 6.6
• Venango County, 4.7
• Beaver County, 3.8
• Bucks County, 2.8

Top 5 counties: Speeding in a school zone

• Jefferson County, 8.2 per offenses per 1,000 residents
• Montgomery County, 5.4
• Venango County, 4.2
• Beaver County, 2.9
• Northampton County, 2.3

Top 5 counties: Meeting/overtaking a school bus

• Butler County, 1.39 offenses per 1,000 residents
• Wyoming County, 1.36
• Montgomery County, 1.2
• Allegheny County, 1.1
• Cameron County, 0.9

Incidents in Pa. school zones and near buses have declined

Statewide, motorists committed slightly fewer traffic offenses while driving through school zones or near school buses in 2024 than the previous year, according to PA Courts.

However, the 5,184 traffic citations issued for speeding in a school zone or passing or overtaking a school bus as it is using its red signal lights was still 7% higher than in 2022, when most school districts returned to regular, in-person instruction following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

By a 2-to-1 margin, speeding in a school zone accounted for most of the violations over the five-year period. There were 14,920 speeding violations during this period, compared to 7,582 violations for overtaking or illegally passing a school bus.

A whopping 32% of infractions for speeding in a school zone occurred in the state’s third-largest county, Montgomery, which had 4,757 over the five-year period, or 5.4 per every 1,000 people living in the county.

Allegheny County led the state in citations for failing to stop for a school bus with 1,338 between 2020 and 2024, just under 18%, or 1.1 per 1,000 residents.

New school zone, bus safety technology

Many Pennsylvania schools districts are using new technology to catch offenders and prevent further infractions.

The Millcreek School District in Erie County, the Allentown School District in Lehigh County and the North Penn School District in Montgomery County are among those using BusPatrol, an AI-powered system that detects when a vehicle fails to stop for a school bus that has its stop arm extended. The system records the offender’s license plate.

Philadelphia schools, on the other hand, are working to implement a speed camera pilot program for school zones, according to reports.

Drivers urged to be cautious during school year

In a recent visit to transportation company Rohrer Bus in Duncannon, Carrie Rowe, the acting secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Education; Gerry Wosewick, the executive director of the Pennsylvania School Bus Association; and David Schrantz, president of Rohrer Bus, discussed the current shortage of school bus drivers across the state, the important role they play in the lives of children and the education process. They also talked about the need for motorists to drive with extreme caution around school buses and in school zones.

Schrantz, in trying to encourage more people to consider being school bus drivers, said school buses are the safest vehicles on the road and the safest way to transport students to and from school.

“A lot of that is because of the rules that surround the vehicle itself, the drivers training and credentialing, but then how the public needs to react to that vehicle in safety sensitive situations like when that vehicle has its amber and red lights flashing,” he said. “We must stop and we must be absolutely careful when that vehicle is loading and unloading kids.

“It is the most dangerous time that those students have on their school bus ride is immediately before they get on and off the vehicle,” Schrantz said. “So if you’re unsure about what to do, it’s always a good idea to stop.”

Wosewick said it’s an “important time” on the roads as kids have returned to school.

“A lot of kids that maybe have never ridden a school bus even so they might run out when you’re out on the road, especially during those rush hour times,” Wosewick said. “Patience. If you see a yellow bus, slow down, be aware, be cognizant of what’s going on.

“There’s serious fines that are associated and you don’t know whose student that could be, whose child that could be that’s going to be getting on or getting off the bus,” he said. “So please be careful. Please be patient. Be cognizant of the yellow bus and make sure you stop when they are stopping as well.”