Motorists in Miami-Dade county best think twice before whizzing past a stopped school bus. Miami-Dade County Public Schools has launched a major safety offensive, equipped with a fleet of cameras ready to snap the plates of lawbreakers. As of Wednesday, the nearly 1,000 school buses in the county will be enforcing fines on drivers who fail to halt. The "School Bus Safety Program" means business, capturing and ticketing those daring to break the law.
Caught on camera, offenders will be served a $200 fine, a pricey reminder of Florida's statute that mandates drivers to stop for halted school buses. This crackdown comes after a 30-day grace period during which more than 10,000 warning notices were mailed, according to Local 10. Spoiling for a fight against reckless driving, this safety program was developed in partnership with the Miami-Dade Police Department and BusPatrol, aiming to upend a culture of motorists flouting bus stop arms.
Not only are the exterior cameras which illegally passing vehicles are captured by them making the streets safer for kids, but the buses also feature interior cameras. These surveillance tools seek to protect students and staff from potential incidents within the bus confines. Luis Diaz, Chief Operating Officer of M-DCPS, asserted in a news conference held at Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School, "This safety initiative seeks to curb dangerous motorist behavior around school buses and make the journey to and from school safer for all students", as reported by WSVN.
In the comfort of their own homes, those receiving fines can view the evidence online and pay their due. However, Diaz gave a stark warning, those who choose to dodge the fine might find themselves with suspended licenses. A not so subtle nudge towards compliance, underscoring the initiative's serious nature. "This will unfortunately trigger some conversation and unfortunately for those that violate or feel like they do not need to abide by the law, will unfortunately pay a financial fine," Diaz added, as WSVN caught the statement.
This escalation in punitive measures, as detailed by NBC Miami, is described as "South Florida's first and largest school bus stop-arm camera enforcement program in the country." It marks a palpable shift in gears for road safety in the Miami-Dade area, reinforcing the maxim of the schoolyard: Play by the rules or pay the price.
