HALL COUNTY, Ga. — A metro Atlanta school is launching a major crackdown on drivers who go around school bus stop signs and put students in danger.
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A system that can catch the driver violating the law on camera has been installed in Hall County Schools buses. It can send the video direct to the sheriff’s office.
Joey Johnston said he enjoys being a bus driver, but he’s appalled by how many drivers race past when he picks up and drops off students.
“The most I had was eight people run it in one day,” he said.
“The most dangerous part of a student’s day is the time they are boarding a bus and departing a bus,” said Clay Hobbs, bus transportation director.
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It uses an array of three cameras to catch drivers blowing past school bus stop arms. It also uses AI to determine if a violation has occurred.
School bus violators are a chronic problem in Hall County, putting the lives of students at risk.
“We have been fortunate that we have light injuries of that nature, typically the students have been able to get out of the way,” Hobbs said.
It cost around $5,000 to equip one bus with the camera system. Only 16 buses are equipped with the cameras now, but they plan to put them on all school buses.
“When the stop sign is deployed, these three cameras, this one above, this one and the cameras located in front of the rear tires start recording,” Hobbs said.
The fine is steep for people who don’t obey the law: $1,000 per incident and six points against your license. Drivers under 21 earn an automatic suspension.
“They’ve got to understand they can’t run school bus stop signs,” Johnston said. “They’re putting children in danger.”
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