Motorist Continue to Illegally Pass Stopped Broome School Buses

It’s been a year since Broome County started cracking down on people who drive past stopped school buses by catching the dangerous offenders on film. It appears, however, that people still just don’t ‘get it.’

County officials announced there have been over three-thousand violations since the launch of the program last summer in spite of the $250 fine for a first offense and the increased chances of getting caught with the equipping of buses with cameras on their swing-out stop signs.

School buses throughout Broome County have recorded three-thousand, thirty vehicles illegally passing buses that have been stopped to pick up or discharge passengers and that have their lights flashing and the stop arm deployed.

The final month of the school year was better than some but not the best with 297 drivers illegally passing buses.

The worst month of the program so far has been May with 439 motorists breaking the law and putting children’s lives in danger.

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At the start of the school year last September, there were the fewest violations record at 203.  There were 395 offenders caught last December in spite of a shortened schedule of classes for the month due to the holidays and 362 violators were caught in April, the third worst month.

Following the initial $250r fine issued to drivers via mail, the second and third violations in an 18-month period are $275 and $300 respectively.

County Executive Jason Garnar says if there is an upside to the number of violators recorded, it is that the program is catching and fining those drivers.

For more information on the program go to www.gobroomecounty.com/e911/Stop-Arm