The Town of Niskayuna and Niskayuna Central School District (NCSD) are partnering with BusPatrol, a safety technology company, to make getting on and off school buses safer for children. The new program equips buses with advanced technology that identifies motorists who illegally pass stopped school buses.
Every day in New York, an estimated 50,000 cars illegally pass stopped school buses, putting children at risk. As of February 26, NCSD school buses will roll with new AI-powered stop-arm cameras that detect the license plates of vehicles that fail to stop for school buses.
The video evidence is transmitted to Niskayuna Police for review before a warning letter or fine notice is issued to the registered driver.
There will be a 30-day warning period and public awareness campaign to remind drivers of school bus stopping laws. Motorists who illegally pass a stopped school bus during that period will receive a warning letter by mail. Beginning March 25, violators will receive a fine notice. The program will be exclusively funded by violator revenue over a five-year term, with no taxpayer monies from the district or town being utilized.
New York State law says all traffic approaching from either direction must stop for a stopped school bus with its red lights flashing. The fine for a first-time violation is $250.
“The safety of our students is a top priority for our agency and school district,” Niskayuna Police Chief Jordan M. Kochan said. “Our department has an incredibly strong partnership with our school district and we look forward to this collaborative initiative to make the travels of our students safer.”
Niskayuna Central School District, with its fleet of 90 buses, is the second in Schenectady County to implement the program.
“Most of our students begin and end their day on a school bus,” NCSD Superintendent Carl Mummenthey said. “Far too often, motorists fail to heed the flashing red lights and stop signs our drivers display as students are boarding or deboarding. Hopefully, drivers will think twice before doing so in the future as a result of this new partnership.”
The National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation recently announced the rate of school bus illegal passing is at an “epidemic level” with the results of its annual survey suggesting that school buses are illegally passed more than 41.8 million times per year in the United States.
“While you can never put a price on safety, especially when we’re talking about our most precious cargo, it’s really a bonus that this school bus safety program comes at no cost to taxpayers, the town or the school district,” Town of Niskayuna Supervisor Jaime Puccioni said. “This new enforcement tool for our police department will send a message loud and clear to motorists: ‘Don’t even think about it!’”
To learn more about the School Bus Safety Program and NYS school bus stopping laws, visit Niskayuna PD’s BusPatrol page.
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