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The officers will be using marked and unmarked patrol vehicles on select bus routes that have a history of illegal passing complaints, said officials with Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Traffic Safety Council.
It is illegal to pass a school bus in either direction when the bus is stopped with its flashing red lights on, officials said.
The goal of Operation Safe Stop is to reduce fatalities and personal injuries of school children through the use of high visible enforcement with the goal of educating motorists of the laws against illegally passing stopped school buses, they added.
In the last four years, 35 students were hit by motorists passing stopped school buses in the state and an estimated 50,000 motor vehicles illegally pass New York State school buses every day, the council said.
The fine for a first-time offender of illegally passing a school bus is $250 to $500, five points on your license, and the possibility of up to 30 days in jail. A third time offender faces fines over $1,000 and up to 180 days in jail.
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