Proposed Video Pilot Program To Catch Cars Passing School Buses Illegally Advances

TRENTON, NJ — A pilot program to put cameras on school buses to record drivers who pass them illegally, putting children in danger, has been sent to the full state Senate for approval, officials said.

A bill sponsored by 10th District Sen. Jim Holzapfel, S-211, was passed by the Senate Budget & Appropriations Committee, according to a news release from Holzapfel's office.

The legislation would establish a pilot program for municipalities and school districts to use video monitoring systems to help enforce laws against illegally passing a school bus.

“Many of the children who are killed and injured in school bus-related accidents are struck by drivers who illegally pass a bus while the red lights are flashing and the stop sign is extended,” Holzapfel said. “The sad truth is that many drivers choose to break the law in such a dangerous manner because they think they can get away with it. Installing cameras to catch every driver who passes a school bus illegally will be an effective deterrent.”

Douglas County in Georgiahas instituted such a system to capture those passing a school bus illegally on video to allow for prosecution, according to a Patch article.

About half of the children who die as a result of school bus accidents are hit by vehicles that ignored flashing lights and extended stop sign and drove past, according to the 2013-2014 National School Bus Loading and Unloading Survey. The flashing lights and extended stop sign require all vehicles to stop under state law.

"Without the use of cameras, drivers know they are unlikely to receive a ticket for illegally passing a school bus unless a police officer is present to witness the violation or the bus driver manages to write down their license plate number, which rarely happens," Holzapfel's office said.

Camera systems will allow police departments and school districts to consistently identify and cite drivers who break the law. The legislation requires that a police officer review recorded footage to determine when a citation should be issued, Holzapfel said.

Drivers who receive tickets resulting from footage captured with a camera system would be subject to a fine of $300 to $500. Points would not be assessed as a result of violations generated with the assistance of cameras, Holzapfel said.

“We’ve had bus drivers warn us that they get passed illegally every single day,” Holzapfel said. “They’re all scared to death that one of their kids will be the next one that’s hit. This legislation will help us to deter illegal passings and prevent that next tragedy.”

Image via Douglas County, Georgia, officials