A new school bus safety initiative from Fairfax County and Fairfax County Public Schools has entered its next phase. Driver who are caught illegally passing a FCPS school bus will now receive a fine of $250.
As part of the safety initiative, 50 cameras were installed on buses. The cameras are meant to help identify drivers who do not obey stop-arm signals, which alert traffic to students getting on and off the school buses.
When a bus comes to a complete stop and the stop-arm is deployed, the camera automatically detects vehicles that pass within the enforcement zone. The cameras record video of the vehicle and capture images including the vehicle, its license plate, and the extended stop-arm. Law enforcement reviews the violation videos and license plate images before issuing a citation.
The program began on April 9, and violators were issued warning citations during the 30-day grace period. On May 12, Fairfax County began issuing $250 fines.
According to WTOP, last week’s violations were still being processed, but preliminary data shows the program is averaging 76 warnings per day.
Fairfax County may expand the FCPS school bus safety program once staff and police evaluate the effectiveness of the technology and administrative process.
School Bus Safety
Children are at greatest risk for a school bus-related injury when boarding or leaving the bus, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“We are grateful for the close collaboration with our Fairfax County colleagues as we work together to ensure drivers follow the law when in the presence of children and school buses,” FCPS School Board Chair Karl Frisch said in a statement. “Our new stop-arm camera initiative will remind motorists of their responsibility to drive responsibly and keep students safe.”
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
