In a bid to bolster student safety, Upper Darby School District has teamed up with BusPatrol to incorporate license-plate-reading cameras on its school buses. These cameras are designed to identify and document drivers who flout traffic laws by illegally passing school buses with their stop sign deployed and red lights flashing. As reported by CBS News Philadelphia, the initiative sees the incorporation of other critical security features such as interior cameras, GPS tracking, and access to emergency response.
Following guidelines set forth within PA Motor Vehicle Code § 3345.1, these measures aim to rectify what has become far too common: motorists ignoring the blatantly extended arm of the law, and in this case, the school bus’s stop sign. As FOX 29 reports, when transgressions are captured, offenders will have their license plate recorded, and a ticket will be issued to the driver through the mail—a system that Upper Chichester School District has put into practice the previous year.
“While we're certainly glad that violations decreased this year, one incident of passing a school bus is one too many," PennDOT's deputy secretary for driver and vehicle services, Kara Templeton said in a statement obtained by CBS News Philadelphia in November 2023. The statewide Operation Safe Stop reported 176 violations during its one-day enforcement and education event last year, reflecting a downward trend in comparison to past numbers.
Amid preparations for the new school year and ongoing recruitment efforts to address a bus driver shortage, the Upper Darby School District remains steadfast, in their commitment to enhanced security. The district, which at last report by CBS News Philadelphia was only eight drivers short of being considered fully staffed, will see its solutions go active at the start of the academic year on August 26.
