School Buses Now Equipped With Cameras In Cheltenham Twp.

CHELTENHAM TOWNSHIP, PA —"Stop for the Bus."

That's the mantra as students return to classes next week in the Cheltenham Township School District.

School officials said that all school buses are now equipped with enforcement cameras and will capture any vehicles illegally passing stopped school buses with the stop arm out and red lights flashing.

Violations will be issued, school officials said.

Numerous school districts in Montgomery County and the Philadelphia region are adding cameras to their school buses to bolster the safety of their students.

The PA School Bus Stopping Law, according to PennDOT, says motorists approaching a school bus with its red lights flashing and stop arm extended are required to stop in all directions at least 10 feet from the bus.

The only exception to the law is when a school bus is stopped on the opposite side of a highway separated by a divider, such as concrete barriers or grass medians. Even in this situation, motorists should remain watchful of students trying to cross the road to catch the bus.

According to PennDOT, the penalties if convicted of violating Pennsylvania’s School Bus Stopping Law include a $250 fine and a $35 surcharge to be deposited into the School Bus Safety Grant Program Account, five points on your driving record, and a 60-day license suspension.

Civil violations (Automated enforcement of failure to stop for school buses with flashing red lights) allow school entities to install and operate a side stop signal arm enforcement system to enforce the School Bus Stopping Law. Civil violations include only a $300 fine and don't reflect any points or insurance ratings.