BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The City of Buffalo announced that the public awareness period has begun as Buffalo Public Schools prepares to launch school bus stop arm cameras.
Cameras have been installed on the arm of the stop sign on all Buffalo school buses and will capture images of those who pass a stopped bus. This is part of an effort to get students to and from school safely.
According to the state's Traffic Safety Committee, roughly 50,000 vehicles illegally pass school buses every day in NYS.
The public awareness period in which warning letters will be sent to violators runs from July 1 to September 30. Enforcement will begin on October 1. Tickets could cost drivers up to $250.
“Driving passed a stopped school bus is not okay. It’s extremely dangerous. Our children are on these school buses on a daily basis, and we need to take every precaution to ensure students get to and from school safely. This new initiative will help keep students safe as they get on and off school buses in the city of Buffalo, and we are giving our community plenty of advance warning to prepare for the new technology. I appreciate everyone’s support on this, especially the motoring public.”
The public awareness period will include targeted messaging across the City’s communication platforms.
Last week, 7 News spoke to those involved ahead of the launch of the cameras. You can watch the report below.
