HALL COUNTY, Ga. — Drivers caught illegally passing stopped school buses in a metro Atlanta county now face a $1,000 fine as more buses are equipped with stop-arm cameras.
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The fines took effect in October after Hall County expanded its camera program to 50 school buses at the start of the school year.
The cameras record vehicles that pass a bus while its stop arm is activated. Potential violations are then sent to the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, where a deputy determines whether a citation should be issued.
Hall County launched a pilot program two years ago before expanding the technology to 16 buses. The program grew to 50 buses this school year.
In August, the cameras recorded 131 potential violations in just three weeks. Another 190 were recorded in September.
Drivers received warnings for those violations, but citations issued beginning in October now carry a $1,000 fine.
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Hall County school bus driver Rosie Wilson said she regularly sees drivers ignore the stop arm.
“Yesterday I had three … just one route,” Wilson said, describing the violations she witnessed.
Wilson said she would like to have the cameras installed on her bus. She also said violations seem to happen more often in the afternoon than in the morning.
Hall County Transportation Director Billy Wells said many of the reported violations happen on multi-lane roads.
With the cameras now active on 50 buses, officials hope the potential for hefty fines will encourage drivers to stop when school buses are loading or unloading children.
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