As Broome County recognizes Operation Safe Stop Day, the Office of Emergency Services reports that the County’s School Bus Stop-Arm Camera program has surpassed five thousand violations. School buses throughout Broome County have recorded 4,892 drivers illegally passing them since the program launched in June of 2021. Despite the troubling total number of violations since the program’s inception, violations are down 16% this school year compared to last. Below is month-by-month breakdown of violations for the current year.
September 2022 – 58
October 2022 – 282
November 2022 – 268
December 2022 – 234
January 2023 – 152
February 2023 – 297
March 2023 - 283
Operation Safe Stop Day is a national day of advocacy that reminds motorist of the dangers of illegally passing school buses, along with the tickets and fines that go along with associated violations. Each initial violation comes with a $250 fine which is issued to drivers by mail; second and third violations in an 18-month period are $275 and $300 respectively. The fines are set by the New York State law which permitted local governments to create their own stop-arm camera programs.
Broome County’s program was created through a 2019 local law passed by the County Legislature. The program, which is managed by the Broome County Office of Emergency Services, outfits school buses in Broome County with stop-arm cameras that automatically record any vehicle that illegally passes. For more information visit: https://broomecountyny.gov/e911/Stop-Arm
