According to the American School Bus Council, there are 475,000 school buses in operation in the U.S. today, transporting 25 million children to and from school each day. With their extensive safety features and highly trained drivers, the National Academy of Sciences, the U.S. Department of Transportation and other authorities agree that school buses are the safest form of transportation for getting children to and from school.

The construction of school buses is subject to the kind of scrutiny that few vehicles ever undergo. School buses are required to have side protection, are frequently crash-tested by both manufacturers and the federal government, have fuel tanks that are protected by cages, and must meet state-mandated design and performance standards. 

The yellow school bus also possesses superior safety equipment. The special chrome yellow color is supplemented by distinctive black markings and lights, all aimed at making the bus visible in various kinds of weather and traffic. Buses are equipped with two-way radios, allowing drivers and districts to be in constant communication. Plus, stop arms and red flashing lights alert motorists to children unloading and loading the bus and state laws have been enacted to punish those motorists who refuse to stop.