BUFFALO, NY — On Thursday, Buffalo Public School leaders and parents announced the launch of a new safety program, where all school buses will have stop arm cameras.
"No one wants to get that phone call that their child's been hit by a car when they're trying to just go to school or come home from school," said Ed Speidel, Buffalo Parent Coordination Council President and a parent of students who go to BPS.
According to the state's Traffic Safety Committee, roughly 50,000 vehicles illegally pass school buses every day in NYS. The cameras will catch anyone who illegally passes a stopped school bus.
"It's a bunch of different cameras on the bus and there's an AI system that's actually watching the cameras and it's specifically designed to spot a violation," said Justin Meyers, President and CIO for Bus Patrol. "We double-check it, triple-check it, then it goes to the city and the city is the one that actually reviews and decides whether or not this is a violation."
BPS and city leaders are giving the community a warning to prepare for the new technology.
There will be an awareness period from July 1 through September 30, which is when violation warnings will be issued.
Once the enforcement period begins on October 1, you will receive video footage of you committing the crime.
BPS Superintendent Dr. Tonja Williams tells 7 News the new program promises to be more effective than the speed zone camera debacle years ago.
"I think with the school zone cameras it was really taking a snapshot of activity within a certain amount of feet from the school, I believe these cameras will be able to monitor activity regardless of where the activity happens," said Dr. Williams.
Bus driver and mechanic for First Student, Anthony King says that these cameras and getting the word out about them can prevent accidents.
"This is a safety precaution for kids crossing the streets and even if they are coming off curbside that sometimes if there's a lot of space and they try to squeeze through it could be a danger for kids," said King.
