Passing a School Bus With Its Stop Arm Out? Think Again

If things go the way Athens Clarke County Police Chief Jack Lumpkin wants, come January, a few of the county's 168 school buses will be equipped with cameras. And these cameras will help to snag drivers who don't stop when the bus puts out its "stop arm," which signals that children are getting on or off the bus.

"School buses are the safest vehicles on the road, until the children are loading or unloading," said the chief. "We want to reduce the chances of something terrible happening."

With six deaths in the past five years, Georgia leads the country in the number of school bus fatalities, records show. The Clarke County School District's buses drive 145 different routes. Each route has a reported average of 1.4 violations a day.

"Our school children are educated about loading and unloading," Lumpkin said. "That's why they haven't been hit."

Lumpkin recently made a presentation on a proposed School Bus Stop Arm Enforcement Program to the ACC Commissioners at their September work session. A few buses, armed with three cameras each, would photograph violators, who would then receive a $300 ticket.

The program would make running a stop arm a civil penalty, which would result in a lesser penalty than a citation from an officer. It's similar to the red light camera system already in use in Athens. Proponents expect it to be self-sufficient, administered by a third-party vendor.

If the ACC Commissioners approve moving forward with the program at their October meeting, the county will then spend the next three months educating the public about the laws governing school bus stop arms. (For example, did you know you have to stop if you are approaching the bus, even if the road is a four-lane? Only if there's a median can you continue driving.)

They'll then roll out the program in January.