Drivers who pass school buses loading and unloading children will soon receive $250 citations in the mail as a partnership between the county and Fairfax County Public Schools designed to improve the safety of students launches this spring.
The joint effort includes debuting 50 bus camera systems to identify drivers not adhering to the “stop arm” signals used by bus drivers to alert those on the road to the presence of students getting on or off of buses.
Warning Period Begins April 9; Fines Begin May 12
The initiative will begin with a 30-day notice period, providing motorists with time to familiarize themselves with the regulations. Fifty bus camera systems will be installed during the initial rollout, with warning citations beginning on Wednesday, April 9. At the end of the grace period, beginning on Monday, May 12, violators will be subject to a fine of $250, sent in the mail, underscoring the seriousness of ensuring drivers obey laws tied to student safety.
The program may be expanded as FCPS and police evaluate the administrative process and effectiveness of the technology.
Support from Local Leaders
“I am proud to lead this initiative, as the safety and wellbeing of our residents—especially our children—are of the utmost importance,” says Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay. “This program’s goal is not to generate revenue. The goal is to change driver behavior and prevent the dangerous act of passing a stopped school bus with its red lights flashing while children are loading or unloading."
"We are grateful for the close collaboration with our Fairfax County colleagues as we work together to ensure drivers follow the law when in the presence of children and school buses,” said School Board Chair Karl Frisch. “Our new stop arm camera initiative will remind motorists of their responsibility to drive responsibly and keep students safe."
More About Stop Arm Cameras
The school bus stop-arm enforcement solution uses safety technology to effectively capture events. When a bus comes to a complete stop and the stop-arm is deployed, the camera automatically detects vehicles that pass within the enforcement zone. When an event occurs, the cameras record video of the vehicle and capture images including the vehicle, its license plate and the extended stop-arm. Violation videos and license plate images are reviewed by law enforcement for approval before a warning or Notice of Infraction is issued.
School Bus Safety Information
Children are at greatest risk for a school bus-related injury when they are boarding or leaving the bus, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) resource on school bus safety.
In 2017, a School Safety and Security Council white paper on school bus safety found that FCPS school bus drivers, who are periodically asked to count how many stop arm violations they encounter, reported a collective 1,453 violations in a single day.
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