Just mere weeks after students in Miami-Dade started their new school year, a significant increase in school bus violations has law enforcement and community leaders concerned. WSVN reports that the Miami-Dade Police have logged a disturbing 11,500 violations. With new cameras installed on the stop arms of school buses, a high rate of drivers have been captured illegally passing the buses, at an average of 1,600 incidents per day.
The installed cameras, which are triggered when the bus's stop sign is deployed, capture the license plates of violators. Designed to cut down on the number of incidents of children being struck by vehicles while getting on or off the bus, they seem to be revealing how widespread the problem is. As per a video posted by the Miami-Dade Police, the negligence of drivers toward stopped buses with flashing STOP signs is both alarming and rampant, described by the Miami-Dade Police on Instagram as an issue that requires immediate communal action.
The citations, each costing $225, have collectively amounted to approximately $2.5 million, according to Miami Herald. This money is being funneled back into the program to ensure its continuity and effectiveness. Detective Andre Martin, speaking with The Miami Herald, expressed his astonishment at the violation rates, commenting, “Obviously with the number of violations we are seeing, its a wonder we do not have more accidents.” With school buses unlawfully passed an estimated 43.5 million times each school year in the United States, according to the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS), this local surge in violations underscores a broader national issue of traffic safety around school buses.
Encouragement for drivers to heed the law comes from multiple corners, including from private companies like BusPatrol that provide the technology. Donny Wolfe, vice president of government relations at BusPatrol, looking at the citations as a father himself, hopes this enforcement trend will alter driver behavior for the better. With such technology in use, it makes disobedience to school bus safety laws less about chance and more about certainty—when that STOP arm extends, you will be held accountable. Wolfe told The Miami Herald, “I hope this continues to curb reckless driver behavior.” Beyond emphasizing law compliance, Miami-Dade Police remind the community, including first responders, that no one is exempt from abiding by these laws that protect our children, as per the Miami Herald.
