As of Monday, April 24th, passing a school bus could get you a hefty fine. Richmond Public Schools teamed up with Force Multiplier Solutions to equip 50 of Richmond’s school buses with traffic cameras, promoting better safety standards for our children. Thirteen cameras have been installed on each bus, including the stop arm that signals when kids are crossing. Anyone speeding past a school bus will get charged with a ticket for $250.
Anyone caught passing a flashing bus, even if the stop arm isn’t down completely, could get fined. The cameras monitor four lanes surrounding the bus, in both directions. The program is completely funded by the fines paid by reckless drivers caught breaking the law. This fact is both helpful for taxpayers in our community and alarming because of the frequency that this law is broken.
On any school day, more than 74,000 drivers in America illegally pass school buses stopped with red lights flashing and stop sign arms extended. Last year, Richmond police wrote 94 tickets for recklessly passing a school bus. Every year 134 people are injured in school bus accidents, and over 21% of those people are children who are entering/exiting the bus. All Richmond Public School buses are slated to have the cameras by the start of the upcoming school year. The hope is that all of the students will be better protected in the community.
At Reid Goodwin we encourage everyone to be aware of their surroundings when stopped behind a school bus. The moments it takes for you to pass a bus when stopped, could endanger lives. If you or anyone you know has been injured by an unsafe driver, contact our office to let one of our attorneys assist you.