Cameras To Capture Drivers Blowing By Stopped HCPSS Buses

Columbia MD

24 February, 2021

11:43 AM

Description

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — In an effort to protect students getting on and off the bus, Howard County Public School System buses have been outfitted with external cameras that officials hope will discourage motorists from passing buses illegally. School buses make more than 10,000 bus stops in Howard County every school day, transporting approximately 41,000 students. In a one-day survey conducted by bus drivers prior to the coronavirus pandemic, 290 drivers in just one day failed to legally stop while a bus was picking up or dropping off HCPSS students. "Our students are our most precious resource and it is critical that they are able to travel to and from school in a safe manner," said HCPSS Board Chair Chao Wu. "External bus cameras are in place in many school districts in Maryland and I am grateful that Howard County is now able to implement this important safety measure." The cameras, which were installed and will be maintained by BusPatrol America LLC, are able to capture 180 degrees and up to eight lanes of traffic with high definition and full color images. The cameras will begin capturing the license plates of vehicles that pass a bus illegally starting March 1 when in-person instruction at HCPSS is scheduled to start. "The safety of our students as they travel to and from school is a collaborative effort that every citizen and visitor to Howard County must be accountable for," HCPSS Superintendent Michael J. Martirano said. "Every day, too many drivers are traveling in an unsafe manner near our bus stops and in our school zones, putting our children at great risk." During March, violators will be issued a warning. Paid citations will be issued starting April 1 by the Howard County Police Department, which is a partner in this initiative. State courts have set the fine for illegally passing a school bus at $250 with no points. All fines collected will go back into the costs of operating the external bus camera program. Any remaining funds over the cost of the program must be designated for Howard County public safety projects. "The most common complaints we receive at the police department are about traffic violations, often in the very residential communities where school buses are picking up and dropping off our children," Howard County Police Chief Lisa Myers said. "Passing those buses creates a serious potential danger to all students who are simply trying to travel safely to and from school. External cameras on school buses will send a message to drivers that it is critically important to stop for every school bus, every time."