CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. β Chesterfield County launches new bus camera program to catch drivers illegally passing school buses.
Starting this week, Chesterfield County has implemented a grace period for drivers who illegally pass school buses dropping off or picking up children.
After the grace period ends on October 15, violators will face $250 fines thanks to cameras now mounted on buses.
A similar program already exists in Richmond, but Chesterfield police say they have processes in place they hope can avoid issues CBS 6 had previously reported on.
Chesterfield Police say there are over 450 school buses on the roads taking kids to and from school. When those buses are stopped with red lights flashing and the stop arm extended, drivers in both directions are supposed to stop.
But in a one-day survey this year, bus drivers reported 384 times a driver didn't stop.
That's why county school and police have partnered with a company called BusPatrol to install cameras on those stop signs that will ticket drivers who fail to stop.
The fine is $250, but no demerits on their driving record if they pay.
Drivers can challenge it in court, but if they lose, they could have four demerits added.
It's an issue CBS 6 covered when Richmond's program launched, with drivers complaining they were dinged during circumstances they felt shouldn't have been, such as when no kids were being loaded and the buses were just parked. Many didn't want to risk challenging and losing in court.
Chesterfield says they're aware of what happened in Richmond and hope to not have a repeat with several steps, including geofencing the buses, police reviewing the footage before signing off on the fine, and allowing people to call police to explain their extenuating circumstances and potentially get it removed without having to go to court.
"If you have a unique situation, we're obviously willing to listen and entertain what those situations are. But, more often than not, while there are some anomalies where people are doing something, they get caught right, more often than not, it's just people not paying attention. Driver inattention," Chesterfield County Police Capt. Jonathan Miller said.
The camera program is now active, but there is a grace period that lasts until October 15, where offenders will just get a message. Starting on October 16, people will start getting actual fines.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
π²: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
