
Over 2,000 People Ticketed for Failing To Stop for Buffalo School Buses
At the beginning of the school year, officials in Buffalo issued a warning: Stop for school buses or be fined.
School has been in session for less than two months, and the lesson learned so far is that people aren’t paying attention.
At least 2,250 tickets have been issued since Buffalo began enforcing a law requiring cars to stop for buses when their warning arm and stop signs are extended and flashing lights are illuminated. The enforcement period went into effect on October 1.
The tickets represent about $500,000 worth of fines owed to the city.
The tickets are issued by mail to people who are caught on camera passing buses. The cameras are attached to the outside of the bus.
David Hills, chief operating officer for Buffalo Public Schools, says he’s supportive of the enforcement and the extra attention being paid to the 460 buses in the city’s fleet. “We support this issue because we know what is happening. We just now have a number to describe what we have every day,” he said.
The expectation is that the first fine, for $250, will be a one-and-done warning, with drivers realizing passing a stopped bus is a serious violation. “More than 90% of the time that somebody receives a violation from a Bus Patrol evidence package, they never commit the violation again,” says Justin Meyers, president and CEO of Bus Patrol, an AI-powered bus safety company and program.
Of the 2,250 tickets issued so far in October, only 207 have paid their fines. Each time a person is ticketed, the cost of the fine increases, with Erie County Clerk Mickey Kearns saying the second offense could cost a driver between $600 and $750 and a third conviction resulting in fines of up to $1,000 and the possibility of six months in jail.
Pictures of Niagara Falls
Gallery Credit: Canva
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