Montgomery County could begin issuing automated tickets to drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses and are captured on camera.
Legislation introduced by the County Council on Tuesday allows Montgomery County Public Schools’ buses to be outfitted with exterior cameras that would function similarly to red light cameras.
“Passing a school bus is probably one of the top five serious traffic violations,” said Montgomery Police Capt. Tom Didone. “It’s pretty bad.”
It’s also underreported, according to county officials, who say as many as one-third of those who illegally pass school buses are not caught.
Under the current law, if a school vehicle is stopped on a road with flashing red lights, drivers must stop at least 20 feet from the bus and are prohibited from proceeding until the bus moves or turns off the flashing lights. Violators face a misdemeanor traffic citation and a fine of up to $1,000. Three points also can be issued on a driver’s license.
Tuesday’s proposal, from Council President Valerie Ervin (D-Dist. 5) of Silver Spring, would allow drivers caught on tape to be issued a maximum fine of $250.
Ervin said it is unclear how much the cameras will cost because they could be purchased through an existing contract for the county’s speeding and red light cameras.
The school system already has outfitted about 200 of its 1,264 school buses with exterior cameras — at a cost of about $500 each — but it is unclear whether those cameras comply with a state law allowing for the cameras, police said.
School system Director of Transportation Todd Watkins said the cameras already installed on buses identify vehicles that pass school buses illegally. That information is shared with Montgomery County police, which issues warning notices to drivers.
About 500 warning letters are sent each year.
So far this year, 231 drivers have been cited in Montgomery for passing a school bus illegally. In 2010, 291 citations were issued — down from 359 the year before, Didone said.
A recent survey by the Maryland State Department of Education found that 7,028 drivers overtook school buses in Maryland — including 1,645 in Montgomery.
While a Montgomery student has never been killed by a vehicle illegally passing a school bus, Watkins said several children have been injured, including some who were knocked down by slow-moving cars. He did not know how many or when they occurred.
“Across the country there have been kids killed from cars passing school buses,” he said. “It certainly is the most dangerous part of riding the school bus.”
Didone said he hopes to begin phasing in exterior cameras on buses by the next school year.
Watkins said the school system typically replaces about 100 buses each year, and new buses in the past two years have been ordered with cameras. He said it’s unclear if the school system will stick to that schedule if Ervin’s proposal passes.
Ervin’s proposal is cosponsored by council members Roger Berliner (D-Dist. 1) of Potomac; Philip M. Andrews (D-Dist. 3) of Gaithersburg; Craig L. Rice (D-Dist. 2) of Germantown; Marc Elrich (D-At large) of Takoma Park and Nancy Navarro (D-Dist. 4) of Silver Spring. A public hearing is scheduled for Jan. 24.
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