PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Portsmouth Public Schools wants drivers to be more cautious at school bus stops. They hope the addition of stop arm cameras will help.
Kids know the feeling when the big yellow school bus comes into view.
"The bus comes right on our street, so he likes to run when the bus comes," said Shina Madison, Portsmouth parent.
Parents want to make sure kids are safe getting on the bus...
"So it's like, wait for the bus to stop, wait for the stop sign to come out and then get on the bus when she opens the doors," said Madison.
...and anytime their kids are near the road.
"I do teach him about looking both ways, make sure there are no cars coming," said Madison. "Yeah, cars can be dangerous."
Parents know that drivers aren't always careful around school bus stops.
"On Cedar, yes, I do see cars trying to speed up before the stop sign comes up so they can get to work. But yes, it's dangerous if children are coming across the street," explained Madison.
Those who coordinate Portsmouth's school buses told News 3 that sometimes drivers blow past the bus stop signs entirely.
"It hits you to the core when you hear a driver come across the radio and tell us that a car just ran their stop sign," explained Micheal King, coordinator of transportation services for Portsmouth Public Schools.
That's why the district is outfitting its buses with cameras. They'll be on the same side of the bus as the stop sign and will be activated by the bus driver when picking up or dropping off kids. If you're caught on video zipping by when the bus stop sign is extended the video will be sent to police, and you could get a $250 fine.
"This is a proactive approach. We want people to know that even if you see it as a $250 and it might be an inconvenience but that could have been the life of a student," said King. "My hope is at the end of the day it will cut down on cars that pass our stop signs. At the end of the day safety is first and it will always be first."
King explained that the fines go to fund the cameras.
Parents are hopeful the cameras will make for safer bus stops.
"I think it's a great safety measure. Precautionary. Just like we have the red-light cameras, it will stop you because you know it's there," said Madison.
The Virginia DMV reports drivers have to stop for stopped school buses when approaching from any direction, unless they're across a median, and drivers have to remain stopped until the bus moves again. The buses will have flashing red lights and extended stop signs when making stops, but, according to the DMV, even if the lights and stop sign are not activated drivers must stop when the bus is loading or unloading passengers.
This spring break, Portsmouth Public Schools is installing 10 stop arm cameras. The district plans to completely outfit all 100 buses by the end of the school year.
The cameras go into effect April 8. For the first month drivers making violations will get warnings. Beginning May 6, drivers making violations will get citations. According to the school division citations are sent to the police for approval. Issued citations will be mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle.
You can find more information on the Portsmouth Public Schools website.
