Vernon Drivers Take Notice: Bus Cams Going Live On First Day Of School

VERNON, CT — There's a new sheriff in town and it comes in the form of 37 yellow vehicles now equipped with cameras to deter — or catch — those who think they do not have to stop for school buses.

That's right, when students in Vernon head back to school Thursday, a new technology installed on their buses will help protect them.

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And enforce the law.

The town has teamed up with a national company named BusPatrol, which has mounted cameras on each side of Vernon's school buses, along with one on the rear. It will record vehicles that illegally pass school buses when their stop signs have been deployed.

Violators will face a $250 civil fine, shared between the town and company. Warnings will be handed out for the first 30 days. Then come the real fines.

"It has become a massive problem — in Vernon and around the country," Vernon Mayor Dan Champagne said at a Tuesday news conference showing off the new cameras. "The last thing we need to do is hand out tickets. What we need is for people to stop for school buses. My hope is that we never give out any tickets — that people obey the law and we keep our kids safe."

The laws stipulates a 10-foot buffer, Vernon Police Chief Marc Petruzzi said.

BusPatrol's cameras use smart technology to detect and identify offenders. The cameras capture plates as well as a video of all violations. Vernon police then review the footage to determine is a violation actually took place, Petruzzi said.

The cameras are mounted on the left middle, on the rear and on the right-side blind spot of each bus and can see as far as eight lanes away.

Take one trouble spot, for example — Route 83.

The law stipulates that if no divider exists between the east and westbound sides, all cars must stop for a school bus with its lights and sign deployed. If only a painted a yellow line is the center divider, then cars in all four lanes (plus turn lanes) must come to a halt.

If a bus is, say, in the far right westbound lane and a car passes in the far right eastbound lane, a camera will snag that driver.

"Every time a driver illegally passes a stopped school bus, they put a child's life at risk," Vernon Superintendent of Schools Jennifer Hills-Papetti said. "Our goals are to keep our students safe and prevent dangerous incidents."

Added Petruzzi, "I would love to put an officer behind every bus in town to enforce the law. That is not practical. Using this system allows us to greatly improve the safety of all children.

In Vernon, all 37 buses on the road and backups are equipped with the camera systems.

BusPatrol officials call the endeavor "critical."

The $250 is a civil fine. If a police officer catches a driver blowing through a school bus stop sign, the fine is elevated to $450 to $475 for the first offense, plus four license points.

The fine increases for subsequent offenses.