Cuomo OKs Stop-Arm Cameras On School Buses

Passing a stopped school bus is illegal. Now, the state of New York has authorized school districts to install stop-arm cameras on the buses in order to catch drivers who unlawfully pass them.

The legislation, which was a key component of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Justice Agenda, hopes to ensure the safety of New York's students.

"No parent should ever have to worry that their child's bus ride to and from school is anything other safe and easy," Cuomo said in a prepared statement.

"By signing this measure into law, we are providing school districts the tools they need to hold reckless drivers accountable and advancing New York State's bold initiatives to keep our schoolchildren safe," he said.

According to the state, about 1.5 million students ride school buses to and from school every year. In April 2018, law enforcement targeted people who passed stopped school buses during Operation Safe Stop.

More than 850 people were ticketed, which amounts to someone passing a stopped school bus more than 150,000 times in a 180-day school year, according to authorities.

Take a look at a video from the Norwich, Connecticut, City School District of a near miss by car that passed a stopped school bus.

SEE: Watch: School Bus Driver Saves Student From Illegally Passing Car