Starting Thursday, if you illegally pass a school bus in Charles County, Maryland, expect to get a big fine.
Cameras are being installed on all school buses. When the work is done, 375 cameras will be mounted in an effort to catch drivers who illegally pass school buses, which puts students at risk.
“Sadly, we have encountered drivers either who ignore the law or who are not paying attention,” Charles County Sheriff Troy Berry said in a news release.
If you get a ticket for illegally passing a bus, it will cost you $250 but the violation does not access points. There is a 60-day warning period before fines will be given out. Tickets that carry the fine will be give out starting Jan. 17, 2022.
The program is in partnership with a private company called BusPatrol, which supplies, installs and maintains the cameras for free in exchange for a cut of the fines.
Maryland law requires a driver of a motor vehicle to stop for a school bus that is stopped and operating flashing red lights, and to remain stopped until the school vehicle resumes motion or deactivates the flashing lights. If a driver violates this law, and it is cited by a police officer, the penalty is a $570 fine and three points.
