Posted by
Tanya Arja or Jennifer Holton
on
10/19/2023 11:57:00 AM
For Immediate Release
Contact: Tanya Arja or Jennifer Holton
Hillsborough County Public Schools
Office of Communications
813-272-4060
National School Bus Safety Week runs from October 16-20
Tampa, Fl. (October 19, 2023) – In an effort to protect students from motorists as they board and exit school buses, Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) has announced a five-year partnership with BusPatrol.
BusPatrol is a stop-arm enforcement technology provider committed to making roads safer for students. The company will equip all 1,100 HCPS school buses with cameras that capture the license plates of vehicles that illegally pass stopped buses, along with video of the infraction.
Hillsborough County Public Schools is the first in the state to outfit all district buses with this technology, helping to protect students and make our roads safer.
Beginning in January, there will be a 30-day warning period before the program officially goes live in February 2024. During the warning period, any motorist who fails to stop for a school bus when its red lights are flashing, and the stop arm is extended will receive a warning letter about the violation in the mail with no monetary penalty.
“In a recent study by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services, more than 8,000 Florida school bus drivers reported more than 11,000 illegal passings in just one day,” said Hillsborough County Public Schools Interim Superintendent Van Ayres. “That equates to over 2 million stop-arm violations each year in the state. This initiative is more about curbing the behavior of drivers than it is about ticketing. We have to make our bus routes safer for our children.”
SB 766 Enforcement of School Bus Passing Infractions by Senator Danny Burgess was introduced in the 2023 legislative session and signed into law on May 31, 2023. This new law allows school districts to install infraction detections systems on school buses. The system captures video and photographic images documenting when a vehicle violates the law by passing a bus when its stop arm is out. The cameras cannot be used for any other purposes.
“This is not about generating fines. It’s a way of changing driver behavior over time and educating people that there are consequences for passing the school buses," said Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister. "In other communities, this program has led to a 30% reduction in violations year-over-year. That means more people are stopping for school buses, and children are safer."
In Florida, it is illegal to pass a school bus that is stopped with its red lights flashing and stop arm extended. Traffic approaching from either direction must stop before reaching the bus either on a two-lane road or multi-lane road divided by a paved median. On a highway divided by a raised barrier or an unpaved median at least 5 feet wide, drivers behind the bus must stop while vehicles moving in the opposite direction are asked to use caution but do not have to stop. The violations will be issued by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
Please see the Dropbox link below for video of drivers across the state and the country illegally passing stopped buses, putting children in harm's way. In addition, we have included an interview with Senator Burgess on this new law as well as a graphic demonstrating when drivers must stop for school buses.