Vernon School Bus Cams Capture 362 Motorists Illegally Passing Buses During First Month Of Program

VERNON, CT — About a dozen a day. That's how many school bus stop sign violations Vernon's new on-board camera system has captured during a month-long trial period.

Now thing are getting real.

Vernon's bus cams moved into a new phase this week. As of Monday, motorists who illegally pass Vernon school buses while the red lights are flashing and the stop arm extended face a $250 civil fine.

From Aug. 27 through Sept. 25, the BusPatrol cameras affixed to school buses recorded 362 motorists illegally passing school buses.

Vernon police reviewed and validated each violation. Violators received warning letters in the mail.

"Our goal has always been and always will be to keep our school children safe, not to assess fines," Vernon Mayor Dan Champagne said.

As a former police officer, Champagne know the law.

"When you see a school bus with its red lights flashing picking up or dropping off children, you need to stop," he said.

A company called BusPatrol mounted five cameras on all 37 school buses operated by Vernon’s transportation contractor,
First Student. The cameras catch violators from all angles and Vernon police review each incident to determine whether
a citation is appropriate.

Connecticut law requires motorists to stop for a school bus when its red warning lights are flashing. Drivers must stop at least 10 feet from the front or rear of a school bus that is displaying its flashing red signal lights and remain there until the bus no longer displays the lights.

“State law and our town ordinance are clear. Whenever a school has its red lights flashing and/or stop sign extended, all vehicles traveling in both directions on that road must stop," Vernon Police Chief Marc Petruzzi said. "Doing so is critical for the safety of all kids on that bus. It doesn’t matter if its two lanes or four lanes on that roadway."

For example, both sides of the four-lane Route 83 must stop if no divider exists.

Under town ordinance, illegally passing a stopped school bus carries a $250 fine for a first offense with no license points.
If a police officer spots a motorist illegally passing a school bus, the fine is $450 and four points assessed against a driver’s license. The fine increases for subsequent violations.

Effective Oct. 1 in Connecticut, anyone who illegally passes a school bus three or more times could face driver’s license suspension.