3,888 Warnings Issued For Drivers Who Didn’t Stop For School Buses

By Kimberly C. Moore 

In the first five weeks of this school year, Polk County could have issued 3,888 fines of $225 to drivers for illegally passing stopped school buses that were picking up or letting off children, according to figures released this week.

Instead, those drivers received warnings. But starting Wednesday, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office is authorized to send citations that carry a $225 fine to violating drivers.

The findings were based on videos captured on cameras that were recently installed on all 511 Polk County Public Schools buses to record cars rushing by when bus arms are extended.

Why it matters: Approximately 50,000 Polk County students ride school buses each day during the academic year. But local drivers regularly flout laws about stopping for school buses.

“I do believe it is making it safer for our students who ride school buses,” said Fred Heid, Polk superintendent of schools. “I/we won’t know if this is having an impact on drivers until we have a few months’ of data. If the number of average weekly incidents declines over time, then I believe we can make an argument that this has resulted in a change in driver behavior.”

The good news: The warnings appear to be having an effect, based on the numbers issued each week since mid-August. Warnings peaked at 1,293 the second week of school and dropped weekly to 485 by the fifth week.

“Let me be absolutely clear when I say that the requirement and/or statute that drivers must STOP when a bus has the stop arm out and flashers on has been in existence for as long as I can remember,” said Heid, who grew up in Florida. “This isn’t something new.”

Videos: PCPS shared four videos of drivers whizzing past stopped buses, with stop arms extended and lights flashing. In one of the videos, it is still dark and two students start to cross a two-lane street to board the bus. They stop mid-stride as a driver speeds within feet of them and past the bus — all while the lights flash atop the bus and on the extended stop signs on the side of the bus.

Multiple people who watched the video on Facebook said they felt the $225 ticket wasn’t enough, with some urging that it be increased to $500. Some said cameras should be installed in school zones, as well, while others asked where the money was going and hoped it was for increased pay for bus drivers.

Where the money goes: The fine money from the violations is divided between the school district and Verra Mobility, the company that provides the technology, school district officials said. Out of the district’s share, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office is paid for reviewing the violations, and the rest, by statute, can be spent on transportation safety programs.

“Ultimately, there is no cost to PCPS to have this program — it’s funded by violations,” a district official said on Facebook.

Why don’t they stop? Heid said based on the videos he has viewed, people are rushing past the stopped school buses for one of three reasons:

• Some are in a hurry and seemingly are racing to beat the crossarm.
• Some appear to be distracted and don’t even realize the stop arm and flashers have been activated.
• “Some simply do not care as clearly shown in some of the videos we have shared.”

Changing behavior: Heid said PCPS bus drivers have shared that they have seen improvements in drivers stopping for the bus when the drivers are picking up or dropping off students.

“This is only about ensuring student safety,” Heid said, noting that questions about stopping for school buses appear on Florida’s driver license exams. “So there is no secret as to the requirement and expectation for motorists. What has been a secret is the frequency in which people have violated this law and jeopardized the safety of our students. And, in fast-growing counties where traffic safety issues exist, we do not have the luxury of waiting and hoping that driver behaviors will change.”