Falls Church, VA joins two Maryland counties in instituting school bus cameras intended to catch drivers illegally passing stopped school buses. The cameras turn on automatically when the bus driver opens the door to allow children to board or exit. Drivers who are caught by the cameras will receive a $250 ticket, but will not have points added to their license.
Officials for the community say that only some of the district’s 17 buses will have cameras installed, but that it will not be obvious to drivers. The decision was made after a poll of bus drivers revealed that many motorists do not heed, or are unaware, of laws prohibiting them from passing a stopped school bus. The camera project will be implemented by June of this year.
