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The county's new partnership with BusPatrol America to add cameras on school bus stop-arms was announced by County Executive Kevin Byrne on Thursday, July 20.
The agreement will now enable the six school districts within the county to deploy the cameras on their school bus fleets. The devices will be able to detect the license plates of vehicles that fail to stop for school buses, county officials said.
Additionally, districts will be able to install internal cameras that can monitor dangerous activity on the bus.
The new program will be preceded by an education and awareness campaign in the county to remind drivers of school bus safety traffic laws.
Those wondering about the cost of the program may also be delighted to learn that the cameras will come at no cost to taxpayers. Instead, the program will be exclusively funded by violators over a five-year period.
"The safety of our kids is always going to be a priority," Byrne said of the agreement with BusPatrol, adding, "The opportunity to implement a program at no cost to taxpayers that protects students made this an obvious partnership to develop."
"We are taking proactive steps to protect our children and hold irresponsible drivers accountable for their actions," Byrne continued.
In New York, it is illegal to pass a school bus when the red stop arm is in use, and drivers are required to stop when approaching the bus from the front or rear on any public highway, street, or private road.
According to the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services, 43.5 million vehicles illegally pass stopped school buses every year in the United States. In New York alone, there are 50,000 illegal bus passings every school day, the organization reported.
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