School Bus Stop-Arm Safety Program

Violations

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions | Broome County (gobroomecounty.com)

Archived Violations

https://gobroomecounty.com/ArchivedSchoolBusStopArmViolations

Putting Student Safety First

Broome County administers a County-wide School Bus stop arm camera program through coordination with participating School Districts and other governmental agencies.

The goal of the program is to effectively reduce the illegal passing of a stopped school bus through training and educational campaigns, along with video equipment that activates while the stop arm is extended, and red lights are actively flashing. School bus stop arm safety cameras are a proven deterrent to stop arm passing, and it is an important step in making sure our children arrive to and from school safely.

Stop Arm Program Information                                                                             

Broome County Stop Arm Program Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

 

Safety at Work

The School Bus Stop-Arm Safety Program equips Broome County’s school bus fleets with state-of-the-art stop-arm safety technology including stop-arm cameras, DVR and storage devices, internal cameras, GPS, telemetry and LTE connectivity.

Each school bus has an automated camera system that is activated when a school bus is stopped, and its lights and stop-arm are engaged.  Multiple cameras capture incidents involving vehicles illegally passing the bus.  Violation enforcement is completed utilizing a video evidentiary system which is screened by local law enforcement.

Safe School Bus Conduct

The New York Sate Department of Motor Vehicles outlines safe school bus behaviors. Click on the image below for more information.

School Bus Safety Tips

How motorists can keep kids safe around the school bus.

  • When driving in neighborhoods with bus stops, schools and school zones, watch out for children walking or bicycling to school.
  • Slow down!  Look for children walking in the street, especially if there are no sidewalks in the neighborhood.
  • Remember, children do not easily estimate vehicle speeds and often misjudge when it is safe to cross the street when a vehicle is approaching.
  • Learn and obey the school bus laws in your state.  Obey the “flashing light system” that the school bus drivers use to alert motorists of pending actions.
  • Yellow flashing lights indicate that the bus is preparing to stop to load and unload children.  Motorists should slow down and prepare to stop their vehicles.
  • Red flashing lights and extended stop arms indicate that the bus has stopped, and that children are getting on or off.  Motorists must stop their cars and wait until the red lights stop flashing.  The extended stop sign is withdrawn, and the bus begins moving before they can start driving again.

Source: NHTSA

Program Information

Broome County’s School Bus Stop-Arm Safety Program goal is public awareness and education. The success of the program is measured by the decrease in stop-arm violations over time and not by the number of vehicles found violating the law.  

Read the Code of New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law §1174-a(m)
Read Senate Bill S4524B
Broome County Charter and Code

 

Kerby Sainclair

Public Safety Program Coordinator

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