As kids swap out beach bags for backpacks and head back to school, Howard County police are ramping up efforts to keep the daily commute safe. The department is launching its H.A.S.T.E (Helping Arriving Students Through Enforcement) initiative focusing on driver and pedestrian safety in school zones. Parents and teachers can expect to see an increase in traffic patrols, particularly around elementary, middle, and high schools in the initial three weeks of the new school year, as reported by Howard County Police Department.
The H.A.S.T.E program is aimed at drivers who speed, ignore pedestrian rights-of-way, or engage in distracted driving near schools. According to the Howard County Police Department's announcement, officers will also be checking that everyone in the vehicle is properly buckled up, with particular attention given to the proper use of seat belts and child safety seats.
Enhancements have also been made to the local bus fleet to ensure that students traveling to and from school are not put at risk by impatient motorists. Howard County Public School System buses now feature external cameras to capture the license plates of those illegally passing stopped buses. Those caught by the cameras flouting the law face a hefty $250 fine to deter behavior that endangers student commuters.
In another push for safer streets, speed cameras have become an established presence in Howard County's school zones. Violators net themselves a $40 fine, and information on the locations of these cameras can be found updated weekly on the police department's website.
