9-14-2024 4:20am

OVER 2,200 TICKETS

Jeff Barto Editor

Under the County's new School Bus Camera Safety program, 2,250 warnings have been issued to motorists who fail to top 20 feet when a school bus has its stop sign out & red lights flashing, as of 9/13.

Under a new initiative, focused on student safety, the Baltimore County Police Department has partnered with Baltimore County Public Schools and AngelTrax to install automated school bus enforcement cameras on nearly 1,000 buses that transport students to and from school and various programs within Baltimore County.

According to the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS), data shows that each school year motorists pass stopped school buses an estimated 43.5 million times within the United States. This initiative will ensure a safer journey for the roughly 80,000 school students transported by bus in the county. “The safety of our children is a responsibility we all share,” said Baltimore County Police Chief Robert O. McCullough. “Through the use of this technology, the Baltimore County Police Department aims to deter dangerous driving habits and further enhance the safety of our students and communities.”

The School Bus Camera Safety Program mandates that cameras be mounted on all buses. Motorists who illegally pass a stopped school bus with activated flashing red lights will be subject to a $250 fine. Each citation will be verified by AngelTrax and reviewed, verified, and approved by an employee of the Baltimore County Police Department. Following that review, citations will be mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle. No points are associated with the issuance of a citation.

When approaching a stopped school bus with activated flashing red lights, Maryland law requires drivers traveling in both directions to stop at least 20 feet from the school bus. If a physical barrier is present, such as a median, only traffic traveling in the same direction as the bus must stop until lights are deactivated.

As part of public awareness campaign to inform drivers of this initiative before the enforcement of fines, warning notices will be mailed to motorists for a period of no less than thirty days. Warning citations will begin to be issued on the first day of school.