Suffolk County School Bus Safety Program

Keep Kids Safe: It’s the Law in New York State

In 2019, the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS) released data from their annual national survey indicating that more than 17 million stop-arm violations occur in the United States each year. Our County’s goal is to reduce the illegal passing of school buses, which will significantly contribute to student safety in Suffolk.

On August 6, 2019, Governor Cuomo signed legislation (S.4524B/A.4950B) authorizing school districts to install safety cameras on school buses in order to catch drivers who unlawfully pass a stopped school bus and ensure the safety of New York's students. This measure was a key component of Governor Cuomo's Justice Agenda.

“No parent should ever have to worry that their child’s bus ride to and from school is anything other than safe and easy. By signing this measure into law, we are providing school districts with the tools they need to hold reckless drivers accountable and advancing New York State’s bold initiatives to keep our school children safe.”

New York State, Governor, Andrew Cuomo

To speak to a representative about a safety violation contact, the Alertbus Customer Contact Center at 1-877-504-7080.

The School Bus Stop-Arm Safety Program outfits Suffolk County’s school bus fleets with the latest technology including stop-arm cameras, DVR and storage devices, internal cameras, GPS, telemetry and LTE connectivity.

When a school bus is stopped and its lights and stop-arm are activated, cameras capture incidents involving vehicles illegally passing the bus. Through cloud computing, data is sent to Alertbus safety experts, who then review the footage and prepare evidence packages for the municipality.

Who Are Stop-Arm Violation Tickets Issued to, and How Much Will They Cost Violators?

Stop-arm cameras identify illegal passers

Tickets are issued to a vehicle's owner

1st violation: $250

Subsequent: Up to $300

Programs toll free number available to offenders

Stop-arm cameras identify illegal passers by license plate number. Tickets are issued to a vehicle’s registered owner, unless the automobile is proven stolen during the time of the offense. If someone other than the vehicle’s owner was driving at the time, the owner can request a transfer of liability.

In most states, a first-time stop-arm violation carries a fine of $250. In New York state, subsequent violations within an eighteen month period are subject to a $25 increase in penalty, up to a maximum of $300.

Data from other safety programs demonstrates that 94% of first-time offenders do not receive a second ticket, and that 95% of drivers do not contest their ticket after seeing video evidence of their violation.

How Does It Work?

 

The diagram above is a representation of the camera systems used in the County

BusPatrol’s leading stop-arm enforcement program is built on a robust, guided, and secure process.

When a vehicle illegally passes a school bus while the stop-arm is deployed, BusPatrol’s multi-lens camera box captures the violation and car’s license plates from different depths and angles. The footage, along with GPS and timecode data, is stored locally on an onboard digital video recorder (DVR) unique to each bus.

The data related to the incident and violation is sent via an encrypted LTE network to BusPatrol’s secure cloud system. BusPatrol’s artificial intelligence (AI) software filters all footage received from each bus before it goes to one of our safety specialists for review.

A BusPatrol safety specialist reviews the filtered footage. If they determine that the violation is indeed an offence, the specialist prepares an evidence package for use by law enforcement. The package is built in accordance with state law, complete with video footage, license plate number, make, model, driver information, GPS location, and a timestamp of the incident.

The evidence package is then submitted to law enforcement via a secure cloud portal. Law enforcement reviews the evidence package to approve citation. If approved, a ticket is mailed to the vehicle’s owner, along with a link to Alertbus’ Driver Education & Payment Portal, where they can view video evidence of their violation. The vehicle owner makes their payment online, through the mail, or in person in the municipal jurisdiction – tickets can also be contested through the relevant jurisdiction’s civil court system.

How Can I Learn More?

The primary focus of the School Bus Stop-Arm Safety Program is public awareness and education. The success of the program is measured in the reduction of stop-arm violations over time and not by the number of vehicles caught violating the law. Please review the information regarding school bus safety and the “danger zone” below.

• Read the Code of New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law §1174-a(m)
• Read Senate Bill S4524B
• Read the Code of Ordinances for Suffolk County

More Sites Containing Information on this Topic

• National Stop Arm Violation Count (NASDPTS)
• Reducing the Illegal Passing of School Buses (NHTSA)
• State School Bus Stop-Arm Camera Laws (NCSL)
• NTSB Releases Full Final Report of Fatal Indiana School Bus Crash
• NYAPT
• DMV New York – School Bus Safety Laws

Information from the DMV of NY

School Buses are Unlike Other Vehicles

School buses have bigger blind spots, take longer to stop, and need more room to maneuver than a standard vehicle. Buses should be treated differently than you would treat an average-sized vehicle. It is important for drivers to know how to react to a school bus in operation.

When you encounter a school bus:

• Slow down. School buses make frequent stops, so be patient and drive at a reasonable speed. Remember, in addition to picking up and dropping off students, school buses are required by law to stop at railroad crossings.
• Be alert. Always be aware of children and parents that may be waiting at a school bus stop or perhaps running to catch the bus before it departs.
• Come to a complete stop at least 20 feet away from the bus.
• Be extra careful to look around before moving your vehicle, as children may be walking in front of, behind, or on the side of school buses. Check for pedestrians - especially near schools, bus stops, playgrounds, parks, and behind parked cars.

Right of Way

When a school bus stops and flashes its red lights, traffic approaching from either direction must stop before reaching the bus:

• on a two-lane road
• on multi-lane highways
• on divided highways

Share the Road

Yellow flashing lights mean the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children. Slow down and prepare to stop your vehicle.

Red flashing lights mean the bus has stopped and children are getting on or off. Stop your vehicle and wait until the school bus resumes motion or until signaled by the driver or police officer to proceed.

Parents: You should discuss transportation conduct and safety rules with your children and share the safety tips below.

• Get to the bus stop at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive
• When the bus approaches, stand at least three giant steps (six feet) away from the curb, and wait away from the street
• Wait until the bus stops, the door opens, and the driver says that it's okay, before stepping onto the bus
• If you have to cross the street in front of the bus, walk on the sidewalk or along the side of the road to a point at least five giant steps (ten feet) ahead of the bus before you cross. Be sure that the driver can see you, and you can see the bus driver.
• Use the handrails to avoid falling. Be careful that clothing with drawstrings and bags with straps don't get caught in the handrails or doors
• Never walk behind the bus
• After you get off the bus, walk at least three giant steps away from the side of the bus
• If you drop something near the bus, tell the bus driver. Never try to pick it up because the driver may not be able to see you
• Students can only board and disembark at their designated stop

Important safety tips for children to learn and remember

• Check before you step
• I see the driver, the driver sees me
• Wait for the driver's signal to cross
• Look left, right, and left again
• Use a backpack or book bag to avoid dropping things
• Horn means danger

The following information is provided for assistance:

To speak to a representative about a stop-arm violation contact, the Alertbus Customer Contact Center at 1-877-504-7080.

The Contact Center is available Monday to Friday (8 AM – 5 PM). English, Spanish and French speaking customer service agents are available to address your inquiries. To expedite our service to you, please have your Citation Number ready when you call.

To view the violation video evidence online or to pay a violation by credit card, visit www.alertbus.com and enter the following information: Your citation number (example: NY-777777), and vehicle license plate number (no dashes or spaces), as listed on your citation.

All payments must be sent to the above listed payment center.

The County does not accept payments at any location.