RECKLESS drivers run the risk of surprise $250 tickets thanks to new hidden cameras placed on certain vehicles.
Mobile AI-powered cameras are coming to nearly 700 school buses across a US state’s county – in a bid to crack down on dangerous driving.
Drivers reckless overtaking school buses now face surprise $250 fines[/caption]
Hundreds of buses will be equipped with the camera tech, which is being implemented thanks to a partnership with a Virginia-based company[/caption]
These cameras work by using AI to detect violations, which then send the evidence to local police for review before tickets are issued[/caption]
According to Axios, drivers in Chesterfield County, Virginia, who illegally pass stopped school buses will be hit with $250 tickets.
These violations, which can be detected and reviewed by police, will begin following a 30-day warning period.
Hundreds of buses will be equipped with the camera tech, which is being implemented thanks to a partnership with BusPatrol, a Virginia-based company.
These cameras work by using AI to detect violations, which then send the evidence to local police for review before tickets are issued.
The pricey set-up will be helped by BusPatrol, who will cover the initial $7 million cost.
Chesterfield County then pays BusPatrol $225 per bus monthly and $65 per ticket issued – with the remaining revenue from fines retained by the county.
Programs like this in other districts have flagged violations that police often dismiss, with one example claiming Richmond police validated only 57% of BusPatrol violations in 2023.
BusPatrol, though, has faced legal challenges in other states over alleged unwarranted tickets and issues with due process for violators.
FINE TIME
Chesterfield’s bus cameras will begin issuing fines on October 13. With additional speed enforcement cameras also to be implemented at local schools.
Warnings will end on September 20.
According to a one-day survey conducted in March, Chesterfield bus drivers reported 384 instances of drivers illegally passing stopped school buses.
Overtaking a stopped school bus is seen as dangerous in most state, largely because children may not look before darting into the street.
Drivers are expected to stop and wait for children to safely board or alight and move away from the bus, ensuring they have a clear view of their surroundings.
Elsewhere, drivers in a popular tourism hub now run the risk of fines up to $500 for trying a fairly common parking lot.
Vehicle owners in Napa, California, face a new ordinance to tackle unsafe driving in the area – specifically those who skip red lights and stop signs using a very sneaky trick.
The new measure has been put into place that punishes motorists who use parking lots or private properties to avoid traffic stop signs, red lights or turn restrictions.
The ruling, which came into effect on Friday, prohibits drivers from using their vehicles on public or private property with the intent of bypassing official traffic control devices.
This applies even if there are no posted signs on the property warning against such actions.
Napa police have said this behavior puts pedestrians at risk, disrupts businesses and can create unnecessary conflict.
Laws on Passing a School Bus
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA), it’s illegal in all 50 states to pass a school bus when it is stopped, the red strobe lights are flashing, and the stop sign is deployed.
“All States require the traffic in both directions to stop on undivided highways when students are getting on or off a school bus,” the agency’s website reads.
Florida launched a program in May 2024 that will cite drivers illegally passing stopped school buses with the help of AI-powered cameras to capture footage of violators, citing an important law.
In Florida, Chapter 316 Title 19 reads:
- Any person using, operating, or driving a vehicle on or over the roads or highways of this state shall, upon approaching any school bus which displays a stop signal, bring such vehicle to a full stop while the bus is stopped, and the vehicle shall not pass the school bus until the signal has been withdrawn. A person who violates this section commits a moving violation, punishable as provided in chapter 318.
- Any person using, operating, or driving a vehicle that passes a school bus on the side that children enter and exit when the school bus displays a stop signal commits a moving violation, punishable as provided in Chapter 318, and is subject to a mandatory hearing under the provisions of s. 318.19
Source: NHSTA, Florida Legislature
