8K Vehicles Recorded Illegally Passing School Buses In PA Since August

PENNSYLVANIA — Nearly eight thousand vehicles have illegally passed stopped school buses in Pennsylvania since the start of the 2022-23 school year, according to new data that sheds light on dangers faced by young children on the roads as they travel to and from school.

The information was gathered by a group called BusPatrol's "smart buses" — AI-powered school bus stop-arm cameras that record traffic as they go by the bus.

“From Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, every child has a right to get on and off a school bus safely," Jean Souliere, CEO & Founder of BusPatrol, said in a statement. "This report card should be a wakeup call to every city in Pennsylvania to enact their own school bus safety program to stop this reckless driving behavior that endangers young children."

Some 20 school districts across the state, including five in the greater Philadelphia area. There were about a thousand BusPatrol-equipped buses on the roads in the state starting in August, meaning each bus caught about eight violations in the first half of the school year.

Officials said the first full school week in September was the most dangerous, with some towns seeing multiple violations in a single day.

Several more school districts are slated to begin the program in the new year. Some municipalities are even launching special photo enforcement safety programs, where the stop-arm camera takes a photo. The photo is then shared with police, who can track, fine, and prosecute offenders.

“Norristown Area School District is proud to be part of a program that works to better protect our students on their journey to and from school," Norristown Superintendent Christopher Dormer said in announcing his district would be among those joining the program, adding that it "(furthers) our commitment to health and safety in this great community."

BusPatrol says that in other states, the program has reduced school bus passings by up to 30 percent year over year.

The penalty for a first time offense in Pennsylvania is $300.