Avoid $570 Ticket, 'Respect the Bus,' Says Campaign

With the first day of the 2015-16 school year only days away, local law enforcement officials are reminding drivers to “Respect the Bus.”

According to police, Maryland law requires vehicles to stop when traveling in the same direction of a stopped school bus with activated flashing red lights. Drivers on the opposite direction also must stop when approaching a stopped school bus; unless, a physical barrier such as a median exists.

The first day of school is Monday, Aug. 31, in Montgomery County, and the county, along with the county’s police department and the school system have filmed a public service video reminding drivers to stop when they see a school bus halted with its stop arm out.

In Montgomery County, 25 school buses have cameras to record vehicles that pass a stopped bus. Police said they plan to eventually have cameras on up to 100 buses.

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“We’ve had over 1,955 violations in the first 18 months of the school bus camera program, and that’s way too many,” MCP Traffic Division Director Captain Tom Didone told Montgomery Community Media.

According to a news release, drivers must pay a $125 fine if they are cited for passing a bus by one of the vehicle cameras and no points are associated through this program.

“That includes when driving on a two-lane roadway, a two-lane roadway with a center turning lane and a four-lane roadway without a median separation. The only exception is for a divided highway of four lanes or more with a median separation,” the news release says.

If a police officer tickets a driver for violating school bus laws, the fine is $570 plus three points in the driver’s license.

»Screenshot from Montgomery County video