Broward County, FL – Broward school officials are urging motorists to follow school bus stopping rules as a new camera enforcement program records thousands of suspected violations.
More than 20,000 notices of violation have been processed since enforcement began in September, Michael Gregory, the district’s chief of safety and security, told NBC6. The program is detecting approximately 2,000 to 4,000 suspected violations each week.
Drivers allegedly passing stopped school buses face a $225 civil penalty. Enforcement began Sept. 9 after a monthlong warning period.
Nearly 1,300 school buses have camera systems that use artificial intelligence to identify potential violations, according to Broward County Public Schools. Police review recordings before notices are mailed to registered vehicle owners. The civil penalty carries no license points.
School police Officer Michael Rosario told NBC6 he reviews hundreds of videos daily showing motorists allegedly passing buses with their stop arms extended. He encouraged drivers to slow down when approaching buses.
The district is reinforcing safety messages during National School Bus Safety Week, which began Monday.
District guidance says drivers in both directions must stop for a bus displaying its stop signals on two-lane roads and multilane roads without a qualifying divider. Painted markings and center turn lanes do not qualify.
Opposing traffic is exempt when separated by a raised barrier or an unpaved median at least five feet wide. Vehicles traveling in the bus’s direction must stop.
BusPatrol, the program’s operator, told NBC6 it expects violations to decrease as motorists adjust to enforcement. Vehicle owners can review evidence online or follow their notice’s instructions to contest an allegation.