Md. School Buses to Snap Photos of Vehicles That Don’t Stop
- Posted on August 18, 2012 at 2:15pm by
Liz Klimas
- Print »
- Email »

(Image: WJZ screenshot)
When school buses stop, put out their retractable stop sign and flash red, blinking lights, it’s the law for drivers in vehicles both behind the bus and on the other side of the road to stop as well. If they don’t, buses in a Maryland county will soon tattle on them with photographic evidence.
WJZ (via CBS Local) reports the buses rolling through Frederick County this school year are the first in the state’s CrossSafe program, which hopes 40 buses will have the cameras by the end of the year. The onus for the cameras stemmed from a 2007 statewide study that found 7,000 cars passed the stopped buses illegally in one day.
“We’ve had close calls and even had children struck in Frederick County,” Frederick County Public Schools Acting Director of Transportation Mac Mclean said according to CBS Local.
Watch the report:
Those caught violating the required stop by the cameras will face a $125 fine. Photo evidence will be reviewed by officers before fines are issued.
With red light and speed cameras being cited as sources of revenue in some cities — with criticism following — Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins said in the report the county doesn’t expect revenue until after 4,000 violations have been made. The report states this could take up to 10 years. If revenue is generated, Jenkins said it would be used to fund crossing guard positions.



















Submitting your tip... please wait!
Comments (79)
Lonescrapper
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 8:18amThey take pictures and then what? The school district isn’t empowered to write civilians traffic violation tickets. WHat will they do? Publish them online??
Report Post »caveman74
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 11:24amI see no problem with this. As you say the school district has no power. It is against the law to pass a school bus with red lights on, and when someone passes it, the burdon of proof is upon the bus driver. If they can turn in a photo of the plate number of the offender then it is no longer a matter of he said she said. Those lights are on for a reason. Children on getting on or off the buss and in many cases crossing the street.
Report Post »Shifty6
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 9:53amI got a fiver says someones nephew’s, brother’s friend owns a camera company, that said nephew works at.
Report Post »ree758
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 7:52amDont like the camera idea for 7000 violators a day a cop should be dispatched
Report Post »Kalshion
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 2:29amNot enough cops to patrol all of the areas that bus’s go to, that’s probably why this idea was put in.. and I like it.
Report Post »Shifty6
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 9:51amI have a three letter word for you….Red light cameras. This is the same thing. I can nearly guarantee you this will reveal there are NUMEROUS violators, revenues will soar, however, in 3 years we are going to find out that the timing of these cameras is “slightly” off.
If it is really that bad, if there are really 7000 violators A DAY in this county! then absolutley investigate this. Don’t give me the same old crap about not enough funding, because there is. I see more state police sitting in an abandonded parking lot with their engine running than you can imagine. I saw one jack wad go in for dinner on the 4th of July and left him car running to keep it cool. And here I thought gas was $4 a gallon. ( oh you were there? you saw the K-9 decal on the car did you? I must have missed it having actually been there in person, and you merely speculating.) We all know there is government waste. Why do we tolerate the waste then demand to raise the taxes of the wealthy to pay for the things we really need?
Report Post »sukey
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 4:39amAs a long-time resident of Frederick County, MD, I have only observed thoughtful, responsible driving from our school bus drivers. If cameras are what is needed to keep the children safe, so be it.
Report Post »Exiled
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 2:55amWould you object to a camera taking a picture of a person robbing a bank?
Report Post »Al J Zira
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 10:13pmWould you object to cameras taking pictures of people j-walking? How the heck does passing a school bus relate to robbing a bank?
Report Post »Exiled
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 12:55amPeople usually don’t get injured or killed in bank robberies. They do when they careen past a bus and hit a kid, though.
Are you saying that you have a constitutional right to break a law as long as nobody knows about it?
Report Post »71FOREVER
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 1:35amIts amazing to me how so many people have opinions about school bus drivers’ competence….. when you can tell by the comment that they have never been one.
Report Post »I drove 10 years for the same district. Had a few close calls with drivers running my reds…. the cameras are a good resource for populated areas.
We didn’t need cameras because our district was small and we would just call them up at home and tell them they ran the lights. Sometimes they hadn’t even noticed and were very apologetic.
Once a year we all had to count the number of reds that were run that same day and report it to the state….
Dont be thinking this was a long time ago. I retired from school buses three years ago.
David in OKC
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 12:15amSo now public school bus drivers are traffic cops? Sorry but the teachers unions have enough power already. Although I agree that people should not drive around school busses when they are stopped, I strongly disagree that school bus drivers should be given carte blanche to assist law enforcement in the pursuit of traffic tickets. Mainly because these people have no legal authority to do so as they are not law enforcement officers. School bus drivers can’t even keep an eye on the things going on on their own busses but they have time to take pictures of traffic offenders? If this is our new form of law enforcement then all anyone would have to do is take pictures of every person they see on the road not obeying the traffic laws and send them to the police for prosecution. If I did that where I live, the entire Oklahoma City Police Dept. would laugh at me.
Report Post »Exiled
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 1:09amThe bus drivers have nothing to do with it. It’s a camera attached to the bus. An officer reviews the photograph. Are you saying that if I (Joe Citizen) take a picture of a crime in progress, that law enforcement shouldn’t pursue that?
I think the bigger issue is that you think it’s okay for people to run these stop signs without penalty. It’s people like you that end up getting a kid killed.
Report Post »POdVet
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 12:10amIf they do it properly, this could be a VERY good thing for several reasons. First, idiots speeding around stopped school buses picking up or dropping off kids, is a real problem. Second, if the camera starts when the bus stops, and is time coded. There would be a record to prove bus drivers making unnecessarily long stops with out reason.
Report Post »LameLiberals
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 10:51pmSome bus drivers SIT FOREVER in one place. Picking their nose? They are not getting off their butts to see what is happening with the “urchins” in the back but sitting. I was stuck behind one who sat for almost 7 minutes backing up traffic. At least with a city bus you can go around them. It was like she was ahead of her time schedule and she SAT her behind on that bus until time was used up.
The honking of cars behind me got that bus driver off her xxx and moving.
Sorry – zero respect for city bus drivers or bus monitors. Morons around the world actually rewarded her years of NOT protecting other students because she couldn’t even protect herself with $700,000.
Give parents a voucher and let them decide to pay themselves to home school, pay someone to home school their child or go to a private school. CLOSE all public schools and privatize the school bus system also.
Report Post »71FOREVER
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 1:46amWhy all the picking on bus drivers? Apparently you are 1. unaware of the rules that drivers have when transporting school students or the public. 2. you dont drive buses 3. you dont ride buses 4. you dont know anyone who drives buses 5. your hormones are out of whack 6. OR you think you are better than other people.
Report Post »Lets all leave intelligent comments so we can all stop rolling our eyes at posts like this one.
A bus cannot leave if a student is standing or out of their seat. A bus cannot move if there is anything unsafe going on. A bus cannot move if there is someone hurt. A bus cannot move if it gets a call from base and is told to stay put. A bus cannot move if it has a mechanical problem of ANY kind.
The drivers can be counted on to follow the rules more often than the kids can be counted on to be polite or behave.
I understand that the rules I wrote above are broken all the time, but some of us stood by the rules and had angry drivers behind us while their unruly kids refused to obey the driver.
FreedomWitness
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 10:46pmHave you ever had to endure stopping behind these buses filled with moronic kids? They take their sweet damn time getting on and getting off of the buses. Then the buffalo sized welfare parents waiting for their dumb bell kids chat with the bus driver. I want to see those kids running on and off those buses MILITARY STYLE! That would correct the problem.
Report Post »13th Imam
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 9:22amYeah, whip those 40 lb third grader’s carrying 60 lb backpacks.
Report Post »NLenz
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 10:01pmOkay…after having to log out and log back in, perhaps The Blaze will accept my comment.
With 13 years of school bus driving under my belt, all I can say is I hope the Maryland school bus drivers are prepared to hear from the police: ‘The picture was too blurry for positive identification, sorry.’
When I left the bus company, the police required the following information for them to follow up on ‘red-light violations’ (and remember – all this information had to be gathered in the two seconds or so it took for the car to violate the red lights):
Make, model, color, tag-number of the car.
Report Post »Location of the violation.
Speed limit at the point of violation.
Direction of travel of the car; direction of travel of the bus.
Time of day – hour and minute – plus route number and name of the school you were transporting at the time of the violation.
Identification of the driver: approximate age, gender, skin color, what they were wearing (I’m not joking).
Number and gender of passengers in the vehicle.
Number of passengers in the bus at the time of the violation.
Weather conditions (again, not joking).
LameLiberals
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 1:36amI am not on the side of the bus drivers or the kids on this one.
If a student can’t get his fat behind off the bus in 2-3 minutes – too bad. The out of shape lazy student can just stand and WAIT on the street corner for a break in traffic. Too bad there wasn’t a mechanical arm on the bus that could grab a kid and chuck his behind onto the sidewalk if they are SLOW – then the bus LEAVES.
Report Post »scrudge
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 8:33pmAh Yes…. take pictures of school busses… that don’t operate their stop signs or use flashing lights + don’t slow down at railroad crossings just to name a few
Report Post »tj1961
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 4:45pmI used to DRIVE a school bus….. Wish I had this for every mindless fool who passed my bus. It happened countless times. If I filed a summons for all the idiots who passed me I could be in court every day of the week.
Report Post »cemerius
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 8:21pmWell since the EPA IRS and SSA have “policing authority” why NOT the Department of Ed too? ha ha this is an insane world…..why not let the Bus drivers push a button that discharges a spike strip too????
Report Post »Exiled
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 1:11amBus drivers aren’t issuing citations. Police are.
Report Post »tj1961
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 9:22amI drove a PRIVATE bus company.. In NJ where was driving ANYONE can file a summons on another driver.
Report Post »The Knave
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 4:36pmHow about taking snapshots of all the buses that break traffic laws? In the afternoon after dropping the students off, the last place in the world you want to be is between a bus and the lot where they park for the evening.
Of course ANY vehicle with a government plate ignores traffic laws….and Police are the worst.
Report Post »mopman64
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 5:26pmOk behind a bus and the lot they park in? You lost me. Most bus drivers are much better drivers then normal car drivers, do you know why? Truck and bus drivers will know why.
Anyway being a former bus driver myself the safety of the children is the top of the list. This is a good idea and I am glad to see it.
Report Post »Servant Of YHVH
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 10:30pm@mopman64
Report Post »yes, I’ve seen some very safe bus drivers. Some of the most reckless drivers I’ve ever seen are bus drivers. Just like any type of driver, a whole group of people cannot be be accused of being bad drivers or good drivers. With some bus drivers I really do agree fully with The Knave, I would not want to be anywhere near some bus drivers and the bus lot. There are some car drivers that should not be allowed anywhere near a vehicle and the same goes for some bus drivers!
Exiled
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 1:11amSo mount a camera on your car, take pictures, and give them to the police.
Report Post »Doug Piranha
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 4:25pmIt reminds me of the time in 2005 on a two lane road I watched in disbelief as the police car in front of me zoomed past a stopped school bus unloading students. The bus’ lights had been going for at least 10 seconds before we got there. The police car’s emergency lights were not on.
As I was sitting there waiting for the bus to close its door the bus driver and I made eye contact and we were both just wagging our heads side to side with that WTF look on our faces.
I didn‘t get the unit’s number, but I did see the jurisdiction it was from and reported what I saw, when I saw it and where I saw it. I even gave the # of the school bus so they could ask the driver about it. No one at the police HQ would talk to me about it and I doubt the officer was ever punished for such a flagrant traffic violation.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 4:12pmAbout a year and a half or two years ago Tampa, Fl. put up a lot of “red light cameras”. They gave the public an initial warning and then started issuing tickets.
Then the really weird stuff started happening. The yellow light timing was shortened at various intersections and then moved to another intersections. I never knew which intersection was infected.
It stopped after a few months when so many people complained; a few high ranking Judges got some tickets I suppose. It was really frightening because people were running red lights all the time.
In Tampa they have Police follow the buses around. That gets more attention than a hidden camera on a bus and prevents the danger of Children being run over. And the Police are actually out on the streets and not at Dunkin Donuts.
Report Post »Exiled
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 1:13amWhy would it matter which intersection the cameras were at if you weren’t running red lights? They’re not even on all the time “watching you”, so no paranoia there.
Report Post »Smokey_Bojangles
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 11:32amTried that in a town near me.Rear End collisions tripled and injuries doubled.After everyone learned the amber lights were shortened they slammed on brakes instead.Then at one intersection I went through a cop was directing traffic after one of the accidents.He tried to wave me through when the light was red.I told him HELL NO! News reported later that 600+ people got tickets in the mail because the cop waved them through.
Report Post »SocialistSlayer
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 3:34pm“Unlike redlight cameras, this I think is supportable as long as it is not in use continually and only when the buses are indicating traffic to stop”
Sorry but I disagree – This is just another infringement on our Liberty no matter how noble the cause! Give me Liberty or Give Me Death!
Report Post »lordamercy
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 4:12pmSo I guess that means you don‘t care if someone runs over your kid because they can’t be bothered to stop for CHILDREN?!
Report Post »Balpit
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 6:31pmThis isn’t a threat to personal liberty. Rather, it’s about these people endangering kids by refusing to stop for the school bus. I approve of these cameras. When I rode the school bus, some people just didn’t stop for it, even with the lights flashing.
Report Post »Exiled
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 1:17amWhat liberty is being infringed upon? The liberty to commit a crime. That’s the only thing I can think of. The camera is not “watching” you. It’s taking a picture of a crime being committed. You are in that picture. If there wasn’t a crime being committed, there would be no picture.
Report Post »Apple Bite
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 3:22pmI’ve had a Bus that appeared to be parked in front of a house with kids running around after school hours. So I waited, and waited about 10 mins, and finally, I attempted to go around the bus, figuring, the bus was simply parked out front. Bus Drivers do that from time to time. Nope, the Bus Driver was on board, but no kids were coming off the bus or going onto it. He happened to sneer at me as if I were about to run some kids over on purpose.
So….let’s see here.
You sit on your dead tired ass in a bus that appears to be parked, after school hours no less, and sneer at anyone that acts as if they’re ready to move on with their lives, even though there are NO KIDS getting on or off the bus.
And drivers are to assume they’re the ones at fault for this situation?
Report Post »Exiled
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 1:19amCould you have been wrong? You could see in front of the bus? Off to the side of it? And I believe your time estimation is an exaggeration. If true, though, perhaps you should bring it up with the school board.
Report Post »JUSTANOTHEROPINION
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 3:11pmUnlike redlight cameras, this I think is supportable as long as it is not in use continually and only when the buses are indicating traffic to stop. Children do not pay much attention when in the streets especially to and from the bus. I don’t see this as an invassion of privacy like the redlight cameras, I see this as a needed safety measure.
Report Post »Amarilloan
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 4:36pmApparently the camera is switched on by the exposure of the flashing stop sign. This is a great example of Big Brother actually doing some good.
Report Post »FREEDOMoverFEAR
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 3:03pmCamera‘s can’t violate your constitional rights like crooked cops can. More cameras less cops I believe it’s a good thing.
Report Post »JediKnight
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 5:05pmYes they can. Look at all the areas where Red Light cameras were installed and then the yellow light timing was changed to catch more drivers, thereby increasing revenue.
It always starts with something innocuous. People aren’t going to change their habit just because of a hidden camera. They‘re going to need to put a notice on the bus that says there’s a camera (just like places with red light cameras). Then you’ll see people change their behavior, except that the change means people are totally paranoid to be around busses. Have you ever noticed how paranoid drivers are near intersections with red light cameras? Suddenly everyone’s driving the exact same speed and every brake light comes on at the exact same time when the light turns yellow.
They should put a notice on the bus and have the camera pop out with the stop sign. People will stop doing it real quick.
As an aside, when this law passed out in California, I could not understand it at all. It was only when I saw it in practice that I then understood it. Maybe they’re having the same problem out there. The wording of the law could be confusing.
Report Post »Individualism
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 5:23pmI hear ya on that, cause allot of cops are unethical and will lie and make up charges and one wrong move and they might try to kill you or rip your apart because they think your an enemy combatant from war. atleast you know you actually did it and its less than when a cop gives you a ticket.
Report Post »Exiled
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 1:20amDidn‘t you learn that you’re supposed to SLOW DOWN for a yellow light – not zip through it? I also haven’t seen any verified evidence of timing being changed. Do you have a valid source for this?
Report Post »crash444
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 2:56pmHey American idiots! If you didn’t run through that red light, if you didn’t pas that stopped school bus, you won‘t be recorded on a camera and you won’t get a ticket. How hard is this concept for you to understand? The cameras wouldn’t generate ANY revenue if you American idiots would not break the motor vehicle laws.
Report Post »mopman64
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 5:31pmNow wait a sec, how dare you come on here and use common sense and not blame the gov or the bus driver or a cop.
How dare your say to use your brain and do the right thing.
Really, I am glad to see someone else gets it for a change.
Report Post »Exiled
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 1:14amIndeed.
Report Post »bugly64
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 2:47pmWe have the red light stop cams here in Peeples Republik of Karlifornia, and they make a heep of revenue. Too bad the money makes it to the entitlement society and crooked political hacks before you can say Bob’s your uncle. Also, the fine is around $70, but the other fees bring the total up to over $400. Just another reason to never think about living in Cali.
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 2:56pm“If revenue is generated, Jenkins said it would be used to fund crossing guard positions.”
The revenue won’t be there for crossing guards. I expect more people to stop for buses in the future.
I don’t trust red light cams. I expect that if you start crossing an intersection when it is yellow , you will get a ticket.
Report Post »FREEDOMoverFEAR
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 3:00pmI’d rather have a camera taking my picture than a police officer pulling me over and harassing me. Especially in CA the cops here a bunch of egotistical pr1cks. LOL last three times I’ve been pulled over I just stroke the cops ego, “Oh your job is dangerous, I’d be nervous walking up to a car at night.” Next thing you know their telling you stories about how bad a55 they are. I didn‘t receive any tickets and all three times I didn’t even have a valid license. LOL stupid people need to realize all cops are crooked. If those cops were doing there job my truck should have been towed all 3 times.
Report Post »AZindependent
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 3:34pmBetter yet, put the fine revenue into a victims fund for when kids are hit by idiots ignoring the buses STOP sign. That way when some poor kid is hit by an uninsured or under insured moron, their medical bills can be paid for by all the jerks who pass stopped school buses.
Report Post »2012hey
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 2:47pmI can’t wait until we see how they filter out those with “diplomatic immunity”, illegal aliens, friends of politicians and lobbyists etc who are caught in this net. FOIA requests for the recordings from the camera will reveal this but not until after the data from it has been selectively enforced….
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 3:02pmA newsprint story does not elicit much feeling like it did 50 or 100 years ago. But get a film of an illegal causing a fatality accident & you have got something
Report Post »Exiled
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 1:21amHave you requested those photos, yet?
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 2:36pmA Camera… in every Home, Business, and Vehicle… so BIG BROTHER can Monitor you!
Are you a FREE Person… or a Slave seeking Protection of a Master… trading Freedom for the Security of Prevention?
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 3:00pmIt is like a sword. It cuts both ways. If you had a cameras around your house & got in a beef with the police where they broke the law you would have the evidence needed to convict them. Film it & send different copies to the cloud.
If you already have cameras hooked up, you could catch people kidnapping kids, neighbors with their dogs, graffiti idiots, speeders. Cameras helped establish a timeline of when that little girl that disappeared in California.
A camera is a tool. it is how you use it.
Report Post »booger71
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 3:44pmNot when the police have the power to confiscate your camera
Report Post »banjarmon
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 2:25pmIf revenue is generated, Jenkins said it would be used to fund crossing guard positions. HA HA
Report Post »This is Maryland!!!! HA HA
Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 2:24pmI can’t see anything wrong with this, I have seen idiots go flying around school buses and almost hit kids. But I also think while they are in court before the judge, they should have to wear the dunce cap.
Report Post »The_Jerk
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 2:28pmIn communist states everyone becomes the police.
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 2:36pmwith cell phones filming everything in site, everyone has already became a reporter. I just dont see a downside, the law is crystal clear, you HAVE to STOP for a school bus unloading children. To put a camera to monitor traffic around the bus as it off loads, that really isn’t a problem.
As for “Everyone is a Cop”, in our society, everyone has the ability that if there is a crime going on, to call the police, or detain the person until the police arrive.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like BIG Govt, but I just can’t see a downside to this.
Report Post »The_Jerk
Posted on August 18, 2012 at 5:46pmI guess that my response would be that prisons have cameras everywhere too. What’s the diff? None.
Report Post »