The huge number of cars illegally passing stopped school buses and putting the lives of students in danger has been attracting attention as new technology is making it easier to catch drivers in the act.
According to the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Information Services, vehicles pass stopped school buses more than 70,000 times every day school is in session. The high rate of drivers passing buses is well-known to school bus drivers who see these violations every day, however stop-arm cameras are allowing law enforcement to crack down on drivers who endanger students.
Rossen Reports chronicled the effort of the Broward County Sheriff’s Department in Florida to catch drivers who pass stopped school buses, an act which is illegal in all 50 states. While filming a single bus, the team saw five cars illegally pass the stopped school bus, despite the flashing lights and extended stop-arm.
School districts are fighting the epidemic levels of stop-arm violations across the country using small cameras attached to the exterior of the bus that activate when the bus stops. Similar to stop light cameras, these cameras catch the license plate numbers of any car who passes when the camera is in action, and violators receive tickets via mail.
You can see the Rossen Reports segment on illegal passing here.
