The Bentonville School District has started publicly reporting data on the number of drivers who run school bus stop signs as incidents rise.

The district reported 92 incidents to local police departments in the first three months of the school year — 30 in August, 43 in September, and 19 in October. 

On average, that’s about one and a half incidents per school day.

State law requires drivers to come to a complete stop when a school bus activates its flashing red lights and extends its stop sign, regardless of the direction of travel, unless there is a physical median dividing the road. Failing to stop can result in a fine of up to $1,000, suspension of driving privileges and potential jail time. 

The district’s practice of reporting drivers is not new, but school transportation leaders have only recently started sharing data publicly, offering new insight into a persistent issue that impacts student safety. Moving forward, the latest data will be included in monthly school board meeting materials.

Transportation Director Jason Salmons said he began releasing the numbers due to the sheer volume of incidents. The number of “red light runners,” as Salmons calls them, are increasing. 

Salmons shared that in the first three months of the 2023-24 school year, there were 69 incidents, and in 2022-23, there were 48.

“I want public awareness,” Salmons said. “That’s our number one priority, is safety.”

In 2022, a Bentonville Schools student was hit – but not seriously injured – by a truck while boarding a bus that had its stop sign out. Salmons said there were also two incidents in recent years where bus drivers had to pull a child back onto the bus by their backpack to prevent them from being hit by a car passing on the same side.

Two of the district’s buses that have the most “red light runner” incidents now have an additional 4-foot extension on the buses’ stop sign arms, Salmons said.

“That hasn’t even deterred people,” he said. “They now go around — go off on the curb or sidewalk — and they go around the extension.”

Stop sign arms have also been upgraded to have illuminated LED lights rather than reflective tape.

“We’re trying to do everything that we can to help deter, stop, make people aware of it, and the numbers still continue to come,” Salmons said.

Not every incident is turned over to police, which means the true number of people running school bus stop signs is higher than the data suggests. While each of the district’s 168 buses is equipped with cameras, sometimes the videos are blurry or license plates can’t be read. 

The Bentonville School District spans multiple towns and cities. Depending on the area where the incident occurred, it could be reported to one of nine different law enforcement agencies. Most of the reported incidents — and the majority of the district’s transportation activity — occur within the Bentonville city limits.

While driver compliance is key, Salmons said parents can help by educating their children to be aware of their surroundings and to make eye contact with the bus driver for direction before crossing a street.

“Talk to them,” he said. “Keep the conversation going throughout the school year as constant reminders.”

Correction 12/6: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the potential fine amount.