Virginia Beach City Public School buses are soon going to have new camera equipment added to monitor drivers around the buses. The cameras will be monitoring when drivers do not stop for buses that are picking up or dropping off children in loading and unloading areas. Based on the detections, the city will issue fines to people found to be not stopping. The full fleet of buses with cameras is expected to be rolled out in around two months. However, starting on Monday, around 150 camera-equipped buses will be put into use.
The cameras are stop-arm cameras with AI assistance.
The AI is used to detect when drivers do not stop in loading and unloading areas. It is then programmed to register vehicle information, and from there a $250 fine will be issued to the vehicle’s registered owner. Not stopping for these buses is considered illegally passing a stopped bus. Thus far, unless a law enforcement officer catches this behavior, the act typically goes unpunished. The cameras will be making a change to that.
Virginia law specifically prohibits passing buses picking up and dropping off children.
According to the Virginia law, drivers must remain stopped behind school buses until the children are all off the road and the bus has resumed moving. Until then, drivers are expected to wait behind the vehicle. This is due to the safety risks of children being in the road and the law is a preventative safety measure.
The camera addition is done as a partnership with BusPatrol. BusPatrol is the vendor who is installing the cameras on the buses. They are also working with the local police department on this matter. The police are a part of the camera detection process. If the camera registers a driver breaking the law, the footage is sent to the police. They will then review the footage and send the fine to the driver, if they find the violation to have happened.
The hope is the cameras will act as a deterrent to prevent illegally passing the buses.
The Virginia Beach City Public Schools Superintendent gave a statement to discuss the program. Dr. Donald Robertson Jr. said that student safety is their number one priority at the district. He called the buses “an extension of our school grounds,” meaning they fall under the jurisdiction of when safety is a top priority.
In addition to the cameras on the buses, the city council recently approved a motion to add speed cameras to school zones. These cameras may not make it up before the end of the school year, but nonetheless, they are hopeful that they will help create a safer environment for students.
