As awareness over stop-arm passing violations grows, states are beginning to consider the widespread adoption of stop-arm cameras to assist law enforcement in cracking down on those who break the law. North Carolina is poised to be one of the first states to mandate stop-arm cameras on school buses, so long as the attorney general of the state has his way.
On Nov. 17, a subcommittee of the Child Fatality Task Force, which includes state legislators and child safety experts from across North Carolina, voted unanimously to support Attorney General Roy Cooper’s stop-arm camera plan.
“This is a proven way to deter motorists from passing stopped school buses without cost to the taxpayers,” Cooper said. “It will definitely make our kids safer when they ride the bus to school.”
The law seems especially pertinent in North Carolina as there have already been several car accidents involving students at bus stops in the state. At least three students have been injured in these incidents, and one student was killed. Additionally, a one-day survey counted 3,153 stop-arm related violations in the state.
Attorney General Cooper’s plan would automatically issue civil citations to registered vehicle owners photographed passing stopped buses using captured images of license plates. The fines paid by offenders would go to public schools.
The only hurdle in the way of the plan is that it would require North Carolina to grant local school boards the necessary authority to issue civil citations and penalties. As well, there are concerns about positively identifying drivers with passing offenses.
To support his plan, Cooper highlighted that other states with stop-arm camera programs have seen enormous success. For example, a large, urban county in Georgia issued 1,302 citations in its first month with stop-arm cameras, but by the sixth month, citations dropped to 375 per month. That suggests offenses fell by over 70% in half a year.
The North Carolina School Boards Association has also added its support to Cooper’s initiative.
“Local school boards share your desire to enhance student safety and firmly believe additional methods are needed to discourage and crack down on drivers illegally passing stopped school buses,” Leanne Winner, the association’s director of governmental relations, wrote in a letter to Cooper. “Empowering school boards with the authority to enter into locally tailored contracts with stop-arm camera providers will further this vital safety objective in a fiscally sound manner.”
