After a month-long grace period, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is issuing citations to drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses.
The county partnered with BusPatrol to equip 1,000 vehicles with cameras that can capture license plate numbers and video of an infraction.
The company describes itself as an AI-powered school bus safety program on its website.
When a violation occurs, the footage is filtered through software before being sent to law enforcement, where it will be reviewed by an deputy to determine whether to issue a fine.
In the trial phase alone, the Sheriff’s Office gave out over 10,000 warnings. But now, drivers can receive $225 tickets.
Here’s what you need to know to stay on the right side of the law.
Traffic lawyer Chris Hersem said the law has not changed, rather the way it is enforced has.
Before, an officer had to be present on the scene to issue a violation, but now cameras can do all the work, according to Hersem.
Hersem said if you’re driving on the same side of the road as a stopped bus, you’ll have to stop.
“What confuses a lot of people is that the law also requires cars traveling the opposite direction of the school bus to stop and that's in most circumstances,” Hersem said.
There are some exceptions for when someone driving on the other side of the road doesn’t have to stop. Hersem said this includes when there is a raised median, physical barrier or five feet of unpaved space in between the two vehicles.
If you’re ever in doubt, Hersem said the best option is to hit the brakes.
“Make sure you stop safely, but stop,” he said. “The penalties for these violations are very steep.”
And although some people might have an issue with using cameras to enforce the law, Hersem said he sees it as a positive.
“The original law here was designed to protect children, and I think we'd all agree it's better to be safe than sorry when kids are involved,” he said.
Over 500,000 children were transported by school buses throughout the state last year, according to the School Bus Fleet factbook.
If a driver receives a citation, they can pay it online, via mail or in person at a designated location. People can also contest the fine through the civil court system.
A Florida law passed last year — Senate Bill 766 — allowed school districts to install infraction detection systems on school buses.
Besides 360° cameras, the technology also includes GPS tracking and emergency response resolutions.
