If you drive through Broward County, you might want to think twice before passing a stopped school bus.
Broward County Public Schools has equipped its school buses with new cameras designed to catch drivers who illegally pass buses while their stop signs are extended.
The cameras automatically record vehicles that fail to stop, and drivers caught breaking the law could receive a $225 citation in the mail.
School bus drivers say the new technology is a welcome addition.
“It’s great,” veteran driver Ricardo La Pompe said. “It helps everybody around the vicinity.”
According to Broward Schools’ Executive Director of Transportation, Dr. Simone Clowers, the cameras are designed to improve safety for students getting on and off the bus.
“Basically, what the cameras are gonna do is detect anyone who illegally passes the bus,” Clowers explained.
La Pompe says he regularly sees drivers ignore the flashing lights and extended stop signs.
“Sometimes the stop sign comes out and they just fly past,” he said.
With students heading back to school, officials are reminding drivers that slowing down and stopping for school buses isn’t just the law—it’s one of the easiest ways to help keep South Florida kids safe.