Tuscaloosa City Schools says drivers are illegally passing stopped school buses about five times a day, and violations have increased over the past month. The district is working with police to keep students safe as they get on and off the bus.

Transportation Director Tiny McCool told ABC 33/40 the district saw an increase over the past month. She said drivers have passed stopped buses on side streets and elsewhere across the city, with no clear pattern. The district told police where it had seen more violations, and McCool said officers would watch those areas.

“We never want to see a student injured because someone wasn’t paying attention or failed to follow the law,” Deron Cameron, the district’s assistant superintendent of operations, said in an Oct. 30 statement.

The problem extends beyond Tuscaloosa. On April 15, 2025, more than 6,700 Alabama school bus drivers reported nearly 1,400 illegal passes as part of a national survey, WBRC reported. Cullman County Schools told the station that drivers illegally pass stopped school buses there daily.

According to Alabama law, when a school bus stops with its red lights flashing and its stop arm extended, drivers in both directions must stop on a two-lane road. The same rule applies on a four-lane road without a physical divider.

On a divided highway with at least two lanes in each direction, drivers may continue if the bus is stopped on the opposing roadway. Drivers who must stop should wait until the bus moves again or the bus driver signals that it is safe to proceed.

A first conviction for illegally passing a stopped school bus carries a fine of $150 to $300, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.  You may contact her at [email protected].