School buses are equipped with systems that catch drivers who do not stop
Public school buses in Rockland County are now equipped with systems that catch drivers who do not stop
- According to the New York Association for Pupil Transportation, New York City residents pass stationary school buses approximately 50,000 times a year.
- Through a public-private partnership, cameras have been installed on school buses to track drivers as they pass stopped buses. The Rockland Sheriff reviews the footage and issues tickets.
- The program is not without controversy. Some drivers and some judges in the state have questioned the system.
NEW TOWN – Just weeks before the start of the 2024-25 school year, Rockland County Executive Ed Day warned Tuesday that passing a stopped school bus will result in hefty fines.
Rockland County school districts have joined a public-private partnership coordinated by the county that installs cameras on school buses. The cameras track vehicles passing a bus when the lights are flashing and the safety arm and stop sign are extended – signals that the bus is about to disembark students. The information is then processed for law enforcement to investigate and prosecute violations.
“A moment of impatience is never worth risking a child’s life,” Day said in front of Clarkstown North High School.
Rockland announced its school bus safety initiative last year, partnering with BusPatrol, a private company that operates the cameras. The Rockland County Sheriff’s Department handles ticketing. Day said 100% of districts have participated; all buses that have contracts with districts are being retrofitted with the camera systems.
How big is the problem?
According to the New York Association for Pupil Transportation, New York City residents pass stationary school buses approximately 50,000 times a year.
Rockland authorities estimated that 17,000 violations have been committed across the county since some districts began phasing in the program last school year.
Suffolk, Nassau, Dutchess and other counties in the state have similar programs. Westchester County has passed the necessary legislation to implement the program and plans to implement it this school year. The city of Yonkers has its own program that is already fully operational.
More: How do school bus cameras catch lawbreakers? What we saw on a bus ride through Yonkers
What are the rules for overtaking school buses?
New York State law requires that when a school bus stops and its red lights are flashing, drivers must stop their vehicles at least 20 feet from the bus in both directions on any road, from a two-lane residential street to a freeway.
New York state passed regulations in 2019 and expanded them this year, allowing municipalities to issue tickets when a stopped bus passes based on camera data, paving the way for partnerships between providers and municipalities like the one in Rockland.
However, the program is not without controversy.
Can the camera system make mistakes?
New York has long had laws requiring cars to stop when buses drop children off.
But some drivers and some judges across the state said the automated system was flawed.
In Suffolk County, nearly 90% of contested tickets were dropped after a state appeals court upheld a driver’s challenge in November 2023, WABC reported.
A judge in Colonie, near Albany, also dismissed fines for an entire week in March.
In April, the state parliament added a wording to the law that makes it clear that drivers must prove that they did not overtake the bus when children got off.
The ticket goes to the vehicle owner because there is no way to determine who is driving the vehicle.
Clarkstown resident Jed Furphy said he is concerned about people driving past buses that are letting students off, and he has called Clarkstown police to monitor bus stops where there are problems. However, he said the automated system appears to be catching drivers driving past buses that have lights on but are not stopping or letting children off.
“Issuing a ticket is a bit over the top if you can’t contest it,” says Furphy. He has heard of cases where someone got a ticket even though the bus had yellow lights, didn’t turn to red, or never stopped completely and let passengers off.
How is the information verified?
Ryan Monell, senior vice president at BusPatrol, said the system uses artificial intelligence to distinguish traffic violators from drivers who are in close proximity. He said two people will review the images. Those deemed to be in violation are then forwarded to law enforcement.
In Rockland, the sheriff’s office then reviews the footage and decides whether charges are warranted.
Day said about 40% of potential violations forwarded by BusPatrol to the Rockland County Sheriff’s Department are not forwarded because the officers reviewing the data opt out.
Monell said he believes none of the violations in Rockland County have been dismissed in court.
How high are the fines?
A first offense for passing a stopped school bus is a $250 fine; a second offense within 18 months is a $275 fine.. A third fine could be up to $300.
The fine is comparable to a red light camera fine and does not result in points because the cameras cannot record who actually drove.
If a driver is ticketed by a police officer for the same offense, the fine can range from $250 to $1,000 for repeat offenses. Violations cited by police can also result in up to 5 points on a driver’s license – 11 points in 18 months can lead to a license suspension, and points can increase insurance costs.
Where do the fines go?
BusPatrol receives 55% of the traffic ticket revenue in Rockland and the county keeps the remaining 45%.
Rockland County Sheriff’s Chief Ted Brovarski said the sheriff’s patrol has hired a few additional officers since implementing the BusPatrol system, but all officers are trained to review the footage and decide whether a ticket is warranted.
“We’re not interested in the revenue,” Brovarski said. “We’re interested in keeping students safe … and educating the public.”
Monell said BusPatrol provides all the equipment, including the cameras and programs that help solve violations.
The school districts do not receive any financial benefit from the cameras.
Monell said that in some places, such as Nassau and Suffolk, where the programs have been running for a long time, the number of violations has decreased month to month. He attributes that to people learning to change their behavior.
He said that pattern has not yet emerged in Rockland.
Day said that was a goal. He said he had heard people describe the program as a “money-making scheme” and dismissed that. “I would be very happy if there had never been any violations.”
Editors Asher Stockler and Peter D. Kramer contributed to this report.
