Bethesda Drivers: Fines Could Double for Passing Stopped School Bus

Hundreds of Montgomery County drivers apparently have no idea what the rules are about passing – or not passing – a stopped school bus.

Since late January, 25 Montgomery County school buses have been equipped with cameras to catch drivers who pass the buses when the stop sign arm is extended and the flashing lights are on. Police say more than 730 people have been ticketed in the county.

Montgomery County Police say the law requires drivers to stop when they are on either side of a school bus, when it stops to unload students and when the bus flashing its lights and the driver has extended its stop sign.

“We’ve got a lot of violations. Other jurisdictions who put the cameras on the buses, they got a low number [of violations],” Montgomery County Chief of Police Thomas Manger said.

Because of the big number of violations found so far, Montgomery County Council President Craig Rice told NBC Washington. He has asked the county’s chief judge for permission to double fines for violators to $250 for an infraction.

County officials say many drivers simply don’t know the law.

“There’s a lot of impatient drivers out there. There’s a lot of drivers out there that are unsure about the law. If all there is is a painted line down the middle of a four-lane highway, you cannot pass either direction,” Chief of Police Thomas Manger told NBC.