New cameras catch thousands of drivers passing stopped school buses

Spectrum News | By Tim Wronka | October 24, 2024

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Hillsborough County’s new stop-arm cameras have caught thousands of drivers illegally passing stopped school buses.

The company that makes the cameras, BusPatrol, said they’ve caught 6,500 drivers since the beginning of the school year in August.

Hillsborough County started the program this year to help keep bus riders safe.

Cameras are now mounted on the stop-arms of every Hillsborough County school bus.

Steve Randazzo, chief growth officer of BusPatrol, spoke to Spectrum Bay News 9 for National School Bus Safety Week.

He explains the cameras use artificial intelligence and multiple angles to catch drivers who don’t stop.

“One of the advantages of AI is it’s continuously improving. So every time it experiences traffic, it understands the context of the roadways a little bit better,” Randazzo said.

A team of reviewers checks the footage and then sends it to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office for review. It’s then up to deputies to decide if those drivers will get a citation in the mail.

In Florida, the fine for passing a stopped school bus is $225.

Randazzo says the idea isn’t to punish drivers but to educate them about stopping for buses.

“We actually have the data to prove that over 90% of folks who get one violation in the mail do not break the law again. That’s tremendously low recidivism,” he said.

Randazzo says a common reason drivers don’t stop is because of distracted driving. The cameras can serve as a reminder for them to stop.