Drivers living in a major county now have just a few days before a new law comes into force, and they’ll have to pay high fines. This law will prevent them from making a fairly standard overtaking movement. Bikers will be required to follow a passing rule from April 9, along with the risk of being imposed with a $250 ticket if they are caught out.
The regulation primarily targets cars that pass large yellow school buses on the road, as it is deemed to risk the safety of schoolchildren entering and exiting the vehicles. To enforce it, cameras are being mounted on 50 public school buses to detect people illegally passing them. The cameras can identify automobiles that go by, even while the bus stop sign is out.
Before imposing a fine, officials will be able to see a photo of the vehicle’s license plate. Fines will not be imposed immediately since there will be a transitional period of 30 days to enable drivers to adjust to the new regulation. That means that beginning April 9, vehicles spotted overtaking school buses will be issued a warning, but after May 12, those who violate the “passing” legislation will face a $250 punishment.
The law for drivers is coming to Fairfax County, Virginia, and has been welcomed by parents and lawmakers. Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay, speaking to FOX5, said: “This is an effort I began almost 10 years ago, after seeing some data and hearing from some of our school bus drivers.
“Back in 2017, they told me that it was not uncommon for them to record, you know, 1,400 instances in a single day of people passing school buses. That’s in just one day! So, we’ve been working on this for the better part of 10 years,” he added.
Worcester is installing cameras on school buses to catch drivers who ignore stop signs, with fines up to $250. https://t.co/JfssQipFDM #SchoolBusSafety #WorcesterMA
— The Worcester Guardian (@WorcGuardian) January 24, 2025
FCPS Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid added: “We’re starting with 50 buses and we run over 1,600 every day.
“One of our challenges is going to be bringing this to scale, so we want to work out any other bugs with the buses, but I know our county partners, our drivers, and our families are really committed to this.”
Alexandra Millar, a local, believes the $250 fine is a bit steep. She said: “I think it’s a tough call because I think that the safety of everyone is very important, but on the other hand, there are a lot of people who can barely survive.”
Baltimore County begins $250 fines for drivers who pass stopped school buses https://t.co/RPNwcl5qF7
— The Baltimore Banner (@BaltimoreBanner) November 5, 2024
However, there are some who are already called for the cameras to start operating on certain routes. Michael Curry said: “In my opinion, I’m 100% with whatever we can do to make sure that the kids are OK too. “Don’t let the kids stay at the bus stop and stand outside. “Wright and I were like, we’re trying to take care of whatever we can. I think it’s kind of a good thing. The fines might be able to hide, but it incentivizes people to slow down and be more careful.”
As per reports, the money collected from the fines will be reinvested into the program to equip cameras on more school buses.
