Tickets for Bus "Stop Arm" Violations Start Late March | Schools

Pass a stopped school bus in Houston County, and you could get a ticket.

The school system is in the process of installing cameras on the sides of 20 buses, that will snap pictures of drivers who pass when their stop arm is out.

The Houston County Board of Education announced they were coming last fall.

"This is one camera head here", said Transportation Director Frank Scott, as a pointed to the new bus cameras. There's six on the side of each bus, so that multiple angles of the car and its plates can be viewed.

He said they are intended to stop what he calls a "problem".

Scott said, "Too many motorists are passing our stop arms during the time we load and unload students."

Here is how they work.

If the stop arm is out and a driver goes past it, that will trigger a chain of events. The cameras will scap, capturing multiple pictures of the car and its licence plate.

Scott said, "They're live and very accurate."

An offsite company collects the images. Then, they send them to the Houston County Sheriff's Office for review. If the sheriff's office sees a violation of the law, a ticket will be mailed to the violator's home.

Scott said, "The citations will not be reported to your insurance company."

A first time offense will cost you $300.

Here's some tips on how to avoid that fine.

If you are on a two lane road, stop when the stop sign is out, whether you're behind or coming toward the bus.

The same goes for all roads with a center turn lane and no median, such as Watson Boulevard.

Scott said, "As long as the lanes are connected or paved all the way across, you should stop."

It's different for roads with grass, dirt or other types of medians, such as sections of Highway 247. Only the traffic following the bus must stop.

Scott says they'll start issuing citations for people who pass bus stop arms the last week of March.

The tickets can be paid on-line, by mail or drivers can dispute them in court.