Dearborn Public Schools is working in partnership with the City of Dearborn, Dearborn Police Department and BusPatrol to protect students as they get off and on school buses.

School bus with cameras along the side

According to a report by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services, an estimated 40 million motorists illegally pass stopped school buses in the U.S. every year, putting students at risk. These illegal passing incidents can result in tragedy. To combat this issue, the district is working with the Dearborn Police Department and BusPatrol to run the Dearborn School Bus Safety Program. Through the program:

  • About 100 school buses will be equipped with school bus infraction detection systems, including those owned by the district and its bus contractors. These cameras are programmed to detect when vehicles pass a stopped school bus with its stop arm extended.
  • The footage of the incident will be shared with the Dearborn Police Department for review. If law enforcement determines a violation has occurred, a citation is sent to the vehicle’s owner.

Our goal

This School Bus Safety Program is designed to reduce reckless driving around school buses and create safer roads for everyone in our community. Data shows that more than 90 percent of first-time violators do not commit a second offense—a strong indicator that the program has the potential to change driver behavior. By working together, the partners can increase awareness and encourage responsible driving habits around the yellow school bus.

FAQs

According to the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services, an estimated nearly 40 million motorists illegally pass stopped school buses each year in the U.S. Every one of those incidents puts children at risk. Michigan sees the same dangerous trend. In a one-day statewide study in 2025, 3,153 school bus drivers reported 2,207 illegal passings—the equivalent of nearly 400,000 violations over a typical 180-day school year. These numbers highlight how common and dangerous these traffic violations are and why stronger tools and enforcement are needed to keep students safe.

In Michigan, drivers must stop at least 20 feet away from a stopped school bus when its red lights are flashing. Drivers must remain stopped until the school bus resumes motion or the visual signals are no longer activated. See the different scenarios in the diagram below.

Diagram on when to stop for a stopped school bus in Michigan

Drivers traveling in the same direction as the bus must always stop.

  • Two-lane roads: All traffic in both directions must stop.
  • Four-lane or multi-lane roads without a barrier: If there is no physical barrier and no raised median—including roads with a center turn lane—all traffic in both directions must stop.
  • Divided highways or roads with a physical barrier: If the roadway is divided by a raised median, physical barrier, or clearly indicated dividing section that impedes traffic, vehicles traveling on the opposite side of the divider do not have to stop unless there is a pedestrian crosswalk or walkway present across the divider.

Michigan law allows school districts to use stop-arm cameras to capture alleged violations, and a 2024 update now enables citation revenue to be shared with districts to help support these safety programs. Under the law, footage from stop-arm cameras can be used as evidence, and drivers who illegally pass a stopped school bus may receive a civil citation with fines of up to $500.

This legislation makes it possible for school districts and law enforcement to better enforce school bus safety laws—even when a police officer is not able to be physically present to observe the violation.

Through the Dearborn School Bus Safety Program, we have equipped every bus in our fleet with advanced safety technology, including AI-powered stop-arm cameras. These cameras detect when a vehicle illegally passes a stopped school bus.

By using automated enforcement, local police can monitor every school bus stop and hold drivers accountable for violating the law and putting students at risk.

Over time, the program helps change driver behavior, reduce illegal passings, and protect children as they go to and from school safely every day.

  1. When a vehicle illegally passes a stopped school bus displaying its stop signal, the stop-arm camera captures footage of the violation.
  2. The footage is securely sent to law enforcement for their independent review to confirm if a violation occurred.
  3. If law enforcement confirms the violation, a citation is mailed to the registered vehicle owner. Data shows that more than 90 percent of first-time violators do not illegally pass a school bus again, making roads safer for students.

The Dearborn School Bus Safety Program combines education and enforcement to change motorist behavior and promote a culture of awareness and responsibility around school buses.

Before the start of the program, the district is partnering with the Dearborn Police Department and BusPatrol to run a public awareness campaign to inform motorists about this new enforcement initiative. The public awareness campaign includes a 30-day warning period, press coverage, and community outreach with the goal of education to change driver behavior before the bus safety program officially starts.

The district also is dedicated to the continuous education of our community about school bus safety to ensure safer roads for everyone.

The stop-arm cameras used on school buses are designed only to capture vehicles that illegally pass a stopped school bus. The enforcement cameras activate only when the bus’ stop arm and red lights are deployed.

Footage of potential violations is securely stored and used solely for reviewing for potential citations. It can only be accessed by authorized personnel for the purpose of determining whether a violation occurred, and it is retained only for the period required by law. The system is focused on one thing: improving student safety while respecting the privacy of drivers and families.

In Dearborn, the fine is $250 for a first-time offense and $500 for any subsequent offenses within a one-year period. Citations are issued to the registered owner of the vehicle and include a link to the AlertBus Driver Education Portal, where the owner can review the evidence and learn more about the law.

Data from BusPatrol programs shows that more than 90 percent of first-time offenders never repeat the violation after seeing the evidence—a strong sign that education changes behavior.

Instructions for payment are included in the citation. You can pay online at www.alertbus.com, where you will need to enter your citation number and license plate.

To pay by phone, call 1-877-504-7080 and follow the automated prompts. Have your citation number and credit/debit card ready. This option is for full payments only. Please be advised for online and phone payments, credit card transactions will incur a processing fee.

You may also pay in person at the 19th District Court, 16077 Michigan Ave., Dearborn during regular business hours. Please bring your citation and preferred form of payment.

If paying by check or money order, make it payable to Dearborn School Bus Safety Program. Mail the payment form (located at the bottom of your citation) along with your payment to:

City of Dearborn, MI / School Bus Safety Program
P.O. Box 411472
Boston, MA 02241-1472

If you have misplaced your citation, please contact the AlertBus Customer Service Center at 877-504-7080 for further assistance.

If you are experiencing financial hardship and are unable to pay the civil fine in full, contact the AlertBus Customer Service Center at 877-504-7080. They can assist you in arranging a payment plan to help manage the cost of the citation if a payment plan is available in your region.

In Michigan, school bus stop-arm citations are issued to the registered owner of the vehicle, not the individual driver. If you were not the person driving at the time of the violation, you should follow the instructions printed on your citation.The citation allows the registered owner to either:

  • Admit responsibility with an explanation by mail or through a hearing, or
  • Deny responsibility by requesting a hearing.

No additional forms are required. All information on how to admit or deny responsibility is in the instructions on your citation.

If you receive a citation, you can contest the violation by following the instructions on the second page of the citation.

To speak to a representative about a stop-arm violation, contact the AlertBus Customer Contact Center toll-free support line at 1-877-504-7080. The Contact Center is available Monday-Friday (8 am–5 pm)

English, Spanish, and Arabic-speaking customer service agents are available to address inquiries, and Arabic-speaking assistance is available in person at Dearborn City Hall during regular business hours.

Please have your citation number ready to help expedite your call. If you contact the center after hours, you may leave a message and a representative will return your call the next business day.

To view evidence of the violation online, visit www.alertbus.com and enter your Uniform Law Citation Number (example: AB-777777) and vehicle license plate number (no dashes or spaces).

Links and resources for more information: