School bus safety is important for children, parents, and drivers. Children should wait for the bus on the sidewalk and wait for the driver's signal before boarding. They should stay seated with their bottoms in their seats and use inside voices. Changing buses requires written permission. School buses travel over 4 billion miles annually carrying over 24 million students, and are much safer than private vehicles. However, injuries or fatalities involving children on school buses are still gut-wrenching. All drivers and parents must exercise extra care around school buses. The penalties for illegally passing a stopped school bus in Kentucky include fines up to $500 and jail time for a first offense.