New School Bus Safety Enforcement Program Coming To Arlington

ARLINGTON, MA — A new school bus safety enforcement program will begin in Arlington this school year, allowing police to issue citations to drivers caught on camera illegally passing stopped school buses.

The Arlington Police Department and Arlington Public Schools are launching the program for the 2026-2027 school year using camera systems installed on the district's school bus fleet. The cameras will capture video of vehicles that pass a school bus while its red lights are flashing and the stop arm is extended, allowing police to identify violations and issue citations to the registered owners of the vehicles.

Arlington accepted a provision of a new state law in spring 2025 allowing video monitoring to be used to enforce school bus passing violations. Under Massachusetts law, drivers are required to stop when a school bus has its red lights flashing and stop arm extended, including emergency vehicles responding to calls. Arlington school buses will display signs notifying motorists that the camera monitoring system is in use.

All potential violations captured by the cameras will be reviewed by the Arlington Police Department Traffic Unit. If police determine the evidence supports a violation, a citation will be mailed to the vehicle's registered owner. Owners can pay the fine, appeal the citation, or provide police with information identifying the person responsible for the violation within 30 days if they were not driving the vehicle. Violations will appear on a driving record but will not carry an insurance surcharge. Video evidence will only be retained until enforcement proceedings are complete and will not be stored in the cloud or shared with third parties.

"Passing a school bus with its stop lights and stop arm activated is not only a violation of the law, but a serious public safety risk for the children riding our buses," the Town said in a statement.

Under Massachusetts law, a first offense carries a $250 fine. A second offense within two years carries a $1,000 fine and six-month license suspension, while a third offense within four years carries a $2,000 fine and one-year license suspension.

The Arlington Police Department is reminding motorists to stop for school buses displaying flashing red lights and an extended stop arm, remain alert in school zones and neighborhoods during morning and afternoon hours, and stay at least 100 feet behind school buses while they are operating. Police are also asking drivers to keep phones and other distractions out of their hands while driving and remain patient around school buses.

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