New survey finds 82% of parents want automated enforcement on school buses

70% favor automated enforcement to better protect kids in school zones

MESA, Ariz., Jan. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As the school year hits a midway point, a recent Verra Mobility 2025-2026 school year survey, issued via Pollfish, reveals that parents and caregivers of school-aged students overwhelmingly support the use of automated enforcement to improve student transportation safety.

The survey, which included 2,000 parents or caretakers of children who walk, drive, are driven, or take transportation to school, showed that many respondents have witnessed near-miss incidents where a student was almost hit in a school zone or near a school bus.

The data points to a pattern of dangerous incidents in school zones and near school buses, and parents’ desire for action:

82% support safety cameras to monitor and penalize drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses
70% of respondents favor automated enforcement in school zones

The response comes as many of these same parents and caregivers have witnessed events that nearly led to student tragedy:

43% have observed a “near miss” in a school zone
33% have seen a “near miss” surrounding a stopped school bus

Automated enforcement programs have long been proven effective. Verra Mobility program data shows that school bus stop-arm programs have experienced as much as a 50% reduction in violations within just two months of launching the program. As the program continues, 98% of drivers who receive one stop-arm violation don’t receive a second.

Similar success has been experienced with school zone speed safety programs, where programs have experienced a 94 percent reduction in speeding at speed camera locations.

“Parents, educators, and communities share the same priority – keeping students safe,” said David Dorfman, senior vice president, Verra Mobility. “With a large majority of parents supporting automated enforcement in school zones and for school bus stop-arm enforcement, technology offers a proven way to change dangerous driving behaviors and prevent tragedies.”

This data comes as cities and counties across the U.S. are utilizing technology to make a difference. During the 2024-2025 school year, Verra Mobility, which covers more than 250 communities, launched 13 new school zone speed programs, from Memphis, TN, to Poulsbo, WA, in order to deter dangerous driving and protect students.

This trend also reflects concerns from educators and school administrators, with 38% of public-school officials moderately or strongly agreeing that traffic patterns around their schools pose a threat to students’ physical safety during their commute. To combat this, parents are advocating for a holistic safety approach with physical and policy-based improvements such as speed bumps, more crossing guards, better signage and traffic signals.

For more information on how to support safer driving and how to employ safety solutions for your community, visit www.verramobility.com/government. 

About Verra Mobility

Verra Mobility Corporation (NASDAQ: VRRM) is a leading provider of smart mobility technology solutions that make transportation safer, smarter and more connected. The company sits at the center of the mobility ecosystem, bringing together vehicles, hardware, software, data and people to enable safe, efficient solutions for customers globally. Verra Mobility’s transportation safety systems and parking management solutions protect lives, improve urban and motorway mobility and support healthier communities. The company also solves complex payment, utilization and compliance challenges for fleet owners and rental car companies. Headquartered in Arizona, Verra Mobility operates in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. For more information, please visit www.verramobility.com.

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