Yield to school buses: Camera system to catch violators

VERONA —

A partnership between Augusta County Public Schools and the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office has added two new camera systems to the locality’s school buses.

The cameras will be aimed at catching motorists who do not stop behind buses from which children are either getting on or off.

Augusta County sheriff’s deputy and spokeswoman Felicia Glick said there’s been a problem with motorists not following the law around school buses.

Most motorists don’t know when or when not to stop. Passing a school bus with its stop sign out could result in a reckless driving charge, Glick said, which carries a maximum of $2,500 in fines and up to a year in jail.

“We get complaints from the public of people passing buses all the time,” she said.

Glick said the major problem is the danger schoolchildren face going to and from school.

Our View: Stop for the school bus. It's the law.

“Administrators and bus drivers try to keep our children safe,” she said. “We are aggressively pursuing the violators to ensure the safety of our children.”

Two buses in the Augusta County Public School’s fleet have been outfitted with dual cameras on the driver’s side of the bus — one pointing to the back of the bus and another pointing to the front.

The project is funded by the sheriff’s office through donations and calendar sales, Sheriff Randy Fisher said. The two cameras cost $2,000 a piece, he said.

“People are so confused on when to stop,” he said.

Fisher said U.S. 11, which the sheriff’s office faces, has no physical barrier, so motorists on either side of the highway are required by law to stop for buses.

“Hopefully, these cameras will take car of this situation,” he said.

When an incident happens, the bus driver will report it to school administrators who will then download the video and send it to the sheriff’s office. Each of the camera sets are hooked up to a digital box inside the bus that records any infraction.

“My concern is safety first,” bus driver Clarence Adams said. “With these cameras on our bus, it will allow us to take care of your children.”

Follow Laura Peters @peterslaura and @peterpants . You can reach her at lpeters@newsleader.com or 213-9125.

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