11 School Districts Agree to Participate: Yonkers Already Has the Program
In a proactive effort to combat reckless driving behavior around school buses, Westchester County has partnered with BusPatrol to launch a new school bus stop-arm photo enforcement program to reduce the number of illegal passings of motorists and protect students.
Westchester County Executive George Latimer said: “New York State law is clear—motorists must stop at least 20 feet away from a school bus when its red lights are flashing and the stop-arm is deployed. This is a crucial measure to ensure the safety of our children. The technology, installation, and maintenance of these safety systems come at no cost to school districts or taxpayers, making it an essential and cost-effective way to protect our students.”
The program is focused on student safety equity. Every bus in participating district fleets will be equipped with bus stop-arm cameras which utilize artificial intelligence to detect cars that illegally pass stopped school buses.
The following Westchester County School Districts are participating in the program:
· Lakeland Central School District
· Mamaroneck Schools
· Ossining Union Free School District
· Eastchester Union Free School District
· Tarrytown Union Free School District
· Blind Brook-Rye Union Free School District
· Katonah-Lewisboro School District
· Greenburgh Central School District
· Hendrick Hudson Central School District
· Croton Harmon Schools
· Harrison Central School District
For the first 30 days, only warning violations with no monetary penalty will be mailed to vehicle owners whose cars are observed illegally passing a stopped school bus. The warning period will run from October 15 until November 18, when ticketing will begin.
Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins said: “Each year, thousands of children are put in danger due to reckless and illegal driving behavior around school buses, which can lead to tragic and fatal consequences. We must take this issue seriously to protect the safety of our children.”
Senator Pete Harckham said: “The increasing number of illegal passings of stopped school buses by vehicles necessitates more comprehensive enforcement measures, like those being implemented by County Executive Latimer here in Westchester. The safety of our students deserves both our utmost precaution and vigilant prosecution, which utilization of new technology that identifies offending motorists will help us accomplish.”
Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg said: “Permitting stop-arm cameras for school buses was an important priority for us in the State Legislature. Kudos to Westchester County for their implementation of this critical safety program. I am so pleased that four school districts in Assembly District 95 have already signed on, and encourage all districts to get on board as soon as they can. This program will save lives while making all drivers more mindful of their behavior on the road.”
Chairman of the Westchester County Board of Legislators Vedat Gashi said: “As a father of two young kids, nothing is more important to me than the safety of school children in Westchester County. This initiative will go a long way toward ensuring the safety of our students. Thank you County Executive George Latimer and my colleagues at the Board of Legislators for prioritizing and addressing this important issue.”
Legislator Emiljana Ulaj said: “The law says motorists must make a full stop while students are getting on or off of a school bus. Yet, we have all seen the reckless driving happening in these situations. You look around and so many drivers are on their phones, distracted, not paying attention—this is a recipe for tragedy. The new School Bus Safety Program spearheaded by Westchester County is a sensible step forward to curb illegal behavior and protect vulnerable children. I thank County Executive George Latimer for his leadership to ensure our students are safe on their way to and from school.”
Ossining Town Supervisor Liz Feldman said: “I am thrilled to have this added safety measure put in place for our students and residents. The installation of cameras outside of the busses is a critical step toward ensuring the well-being of our community and reinforcing safe driving practices around our school buses.”
Ossining Union Free School District Interim Superintendent of Schools Mary Fox-Alter said: “Our partnership with Westchester County underscores our shared commitment to student safety. By implementing this advanced camera technology on our school buses, we are not only protecting our students but also holding motorists accountable. This initiative represents a vital step toward creating a safer community for everyone.
Ossining Union Free School District Supervisor of Transportation James Minihan said: “This technology is a game-changer for bus safety, ensuring that drivers who pass stopped school buses are automatically identified and fined. The ultimate goal is to create a safer environment for our students as they travel to and from school.”
New York State law states that the penalty for breaking the law as captured by the school bus stop-arm camera is assigned to the vehicle owner, and it comes with a minimum civil penalty of $250. Driver’s license points or insurance rates cannot be affected through the stop-arm camera civil enforcement. Every incident is reviewed by law enforcement before a violation notice is issued to the offender.
BusPatrol CEO Karoon Monfared said: “We’re proud to partner with Westchester County to tackle reckless motorist behavior around school buses. This partnership is a win-win for student safety and is proven to significantly reduce the rate of violations, with our longest-running program, Suffolk County, reporting a 40% reduction in violations since the start of the program.”
