ATLANTA — Channel 2 Action News Investigates found a law designed to keep kids safe has some Georgia drivers saying they’ve been wrongfully fined $1,000 for passing school buses.
Channel 2 investigative reporter Ashli Lincoln found fines have brought in millions of dollars for North Georgia school districts and local governments.
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Drivers say they understand the seriousness of this violation, but say the fine is too steep to pay and makes it impossible for those trying to fight their fines.
“I care about children more than I do my own brother,” said Bryan Holland, a retired teacher. “I would never have put a child’s life in danger.”
Holland says he was shocked to receive a $1,000 citation accusing him of passing a stopped school bus on Lindbergh Drive last August.
He looked at the video that he thought would clear him.
“I’m not guilty,” he said.
Sandra Hughley says the same happened to her husband.
“He didn’t run the stop sign,” Sandra Hughley said. “The arm was not out.”
Walter Hughley’s car passed the bus’s stop arm as it was extending, giving him just one second to stop.
The Hughleys and Holland argue that the yellow lights don’t flash long enough to give drivers adequate time to slow down.
“The bus was still rolling,” Walter said.
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Lincoln checked Georgia’s law: It says flashing yellow lights indicate you must prepare to stop at least 20 feet from a bus, and passing a stopped bus with flashing lights is illegal.
We followed school buses across the metro and found in some cases, yellow caution lights flashed for less than two seconds, while others were on for more than 10 seconds.
In 2024, Addy’s Law increased school bus fines from $250 to $1,000 after 8-year-old Adalynn Pierce was killed by a driver who ignored a bus stop signal.
“I have been in kind of the same situation,” Georgia State Rep. Don Parsons said.
Parsons helped write the original law. He says he understands the confusion with the caution lights, but believes the main issue is the higher penalty.
Parson says he’s received a growing number of concerns from Georgia drivers who say they just can’t afford the fine.
“What we’re doing here is trying to protect children —and it is very important — but I also think $1,000 is too high," he said.
Channel 2 Action News pulled data from several metro Atlanta counties and found revenue from these violations had surged since the change.
In 2024, Gwinnett County School bus violation revenue more than doubled from the previous year, collecting more than $800,000. In Clayton County, the district earned nearly $2 million — a steep climb from $900,000 made in 2024.
But Atlanta Public Schools say it’s seen a 36% decrease in bus citation revenue — an indicator the district says points to the new law working
“A fine needs to get people’s attention, yes — but it shouldn’t be so high it’s impossible to pay," Parson said.
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The technology school district’s use is operated by Verra Mobility. It told Channel 2 that their experts review the potential violations before they are sent to law enforcement for final review and approval.
Lincoln reached out to both the city of Atlanta and Clayton County police about Holland and Hughley’s violations. Both agencies say they are looking into this.
But drivers who can’t afford the violation fear what’s next
“This car will become a large paperweight at that point, and that’s not right,” Holland said.
Money from these violations is divided between the local school district, law enforcement, and the third-party vendor. If a driver doesn’t pay their fine, they won’t be able to renew their vehicle’s tag for the next year
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