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Onondaga County has equipped 500 school buses with stop-arm cameras to enhance student safety as the new school year begins. These cameras, installed across six school districts, capture video and license plate details of vehicles that illegally pass stopped school buses with flashing red lights. According to WSYR-TV, the initiative aims to reduce violations and protect children from distracted drivers.
County Executive Ryan McMahon emphasized the importance of the program, stating, "We’re committed to reducing violations, collisions, and injuries due to illegal and distracted drivers to keep our kids and our community at large safe." Violators caught on camera will face fines starting at $250, though these violations will not affect insurance rates or add points to drivers' licenses. Data indicates that over 98% of first-time offenders do not repeat the violation.
The program is part of a broader safety initiative that includes districts such as Baldwinsville, Liverpool, North Syracuse, Jamesville-DeWitt, Fabius-Pompey, and East Syracuse Minoa. As reported by the Jamesville-DeWitt Central School District, Verra Mobility, a private company, will manage the cameras and retain 55% of the fines collected, with the county receiving the remainder.
The initiative has shown positive results in other areas, reducing violations by more than half. Onondaga County hopes to expand the program to additional districts in the future.