Austin ISD has issued over 30,000 traffic citations for school bus traffic violations since 2016.

In the two years since Austin ISD equipped its fleet of approximately 300 school buses with cameras to catch vehicles that drive through bus stop signs, the district has issued over 30,000 traffic citations for such violations, said Kris Hafezizadeh, AISD’s executive director of transportation.In that time six students in AISD have been hit by vehicles while entering or exiting a bus, he said. Two of the students were hit the first week of the 2016-17 school year and made the national news. Hafezizadeh said motorists driving around stopped buses that are loading and unloading students has been a nationwide safety concern, and the district looked for ways to improve the situation in 2015.“Our police officers cannot be at all bus stops, all over town every day,” he said. “We found out this [camera monitoring] technology existed, passed an ordinance with Austin City Council and went through a pilot program with three vendors.”District officials settled on a contact with American Traffic Solutions, a company that installs, maintains and monitors school bus cameras to catch violators and issue citations, he said. Through the terms of the contract, American Traffic Solutions collects 60 percent from every $300 citation, while the district collects the remaining 40 percent to pay police overtime associated with the program, he said.While the program has issued 30,000 citations over the two-year period, only 2 percent of violators were ever issued a second citation, a sign the program is working, Hafezizadeh said.For those driving in neighborhoods with bus stops or in school zones, Hafezizadeh said paying attention to the road and obeying traffic laws can make the difference between hitting a student and avoiding an accident.“The safety of the kids is the bottom line,” he said. “We have a lot of walkers and bikers as well as the bus riders. When the bus is stopped with the loading lights on or someone is in a crosswalk, you need to stop. It is the law, but it’s for the safety of the students.”Overall, Hafezizadeh said if a motorist is unsure of traffic laws as they relate to school buses, he or she should stop to be safe.“It’s a confusing law, but if you’re in doubt, stop,” he said. “If you hit that student that is going to stay on your conscience forever.”