Cameras have been recently added to 50 FCPS school bus stop arms (which extend from the buses) as part of a new safety initiative to reduce the number of stop-arm violations, which happen when a driver passes a bus while students are entering or exiting.
In an email sent by Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid on the tenth, it was detailed that starting April 9, the license plates of drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses with attached cameras will be issued a warning, which will transition to a $250 citation beginning on May 12.
This initiative began in 2017 with a white paper (a detailed report with expert analysis) on school bus safety completed by the School Safety and Security Council, which found that on a single day drivers reported over 1,400 stop-arm violations; it also found that students have the highest risk for a school bus-related injury while boarding and exiting buses.
“Our new school bus stop-arm cameras will help address both of these roadblocks, [a lack of drivers’ knowledge of road laws and underreported violations,] by raising awareness and reducing traffic accidents,” an FCPS spokesperson said.
In partnership with the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD), FCPS selected the 50 pilot buses through consideration of reported violations from drivers, historical data and information from FCPD. AHS is among the schools that received these buses equipped with cameras.
“We appreciate our law enforcement partners for working with us to improve road safety and reduce accidents,” Superintendent Reid said in her email.
FCPS plans to increase the number of buses that have cameras as they, along with FCPD, evaluate the effectiveness of the technology and collection of data.
Bus rider sophomore Riya Vlcan feels like this implementation is worth it:
“I think it’s a really good idea; it doesn’t hurt me by doing so and instead helps make [riding the bus] safer. At least on my bus route, we do have a lot of people that ignore the stop sign and that can be really dangerous, especially for younger kids,” she said.
Student safety is one of AHS’ leading priorities, including safe transportation.
“[Near AHS], you’re talking about some major traffic arteries in Northern Virginia that are not specifically pedestrian friendly. So, I think the more measures that we can put in place to keep kids safe, the better, especially in the more urban areas of Annandale,” Principal Shawn DeRose said.
Stop arm cameras will likely prove to be an effective method in deterring drivers from passing stopped buses, ensuring that no child is in danger on their way to or from school.
