Wisconsin school bus safety; lawmakers push bill after deadly crash data

Wisconsin school bus safety

Wisconsin lawmakers are pushing a bill they hope will improve safety as students head back to school.

MILWAUKEE - School bus-related crashes killed 128 people in 2023, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

What we know:

Now, Wisconsin lawmakers are pushing a bill they hope will improve safety as students head back to school.

Assembly Bill 394, introduced by Rep. William Penterman, would require all driver’s education courses to cover school bus safety, including rules for student crossings, school bus lights and when drivers must stop for a bus.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android

The Wisconsin School Bus Association also supports the bill.

Local perspective:

Gwendolyn Holmes said her son is used to following the routine when he heads back to school.

"He takes the bus every morning. And [it] drops him off every afternoon," Holmes said. "I tell him when he is getting on the bus make sure no cars is coming, look both ways before crossing the street."

It’s a daily reminder that helps ensure her 5th grader is safe.

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

For parents like Holmes, there’s one clear goal: "My number one top priority is to make sure they're safe."

Dig deeper:

"Unfortunately, there are too many times that still happen when there are kids who are hurt or killed, but it's also just that the personal stories that I hear from bus drivers of the number of times when there was someone who just blew by a school bus," Penterman said. "Make sure that our new drivers and anyone looking to get their driver’s license knows the rules of the road."

The bill has gained bipartisan support, including from Rep. Russell Goodwin, who said, "We've had too many close calls, and I even tried to happen because drivers don't know how to follow the rules as far as the school buses."