Violators in focus
Exeter School District pioneers stop-arm cameras to monitor other drivers
It happened in a flash: An SUV zooming past an Exeter School District bus while it was dropping off children after school, and a video camera on the bus captured the whole infraction.
That occurred in February, and it was far from an isolated occurrence, district officials said.
At least two dozen times this school year the district has called police to report drivers passing its stopped school buses, officials said. The drivers either ignored or didn’t see the extended stop sign and flashing red lights. Once it was a tractor-trailer that sped past.
A number of those drivers have been cited by Exeter Township
and Central Berks Regional police, the two departments that cover the district, and what’s helped police make sure the charges stick are the videos from cameras mounted on the stop-arms of each of the district’s 50 buses.
“The video gives us a solid case,” said Central Berks Chief Ray Serafin.
The catalyst
Exeter is the only one of Berks’ 18 public school districts to place stop-arm cameras on all its buses. Wilson recently installed exterior cameras on two of its buses in a test before deciding whether to add them to its entire fleet.
The incident from last month’s Exeter video sent to the Reading Eagle did not result in any injuries, and no Exeter students have been struck this school year.
But it was an incident at 47th Street and Oak Parkway in Exeter in October 2018 when a fourth-grade girl was hit by an SUV passing her stopped school bus that prompted the district to add bus cameras.
One of the SUV’s mirrors apparently struck the girl, leaving her with a bruise under an eye, but it could have been much worse, said Exeter Township Sgt. Sean Fullerton.
“That could’ve been a tragedy,” he said.
The driver was never located, but the investigation continues, he said.
Some violators likely pass the buses intentionally, trying to save a few seconds on their drives, Serafin said.
Others aren’t paying attention, as bus drivers have seen motorists staring at their phones as they went by the stopped buses, said Benjamin Bernhart, Exeter’s assistant transportation supervisor.
About deterrence
Other districts report similar incidents and count on bus drivers to take note of the vehicle’s make, model and color, its license plate number and try to see who is driving in order to report them, officials said.
Some who pass the buses don’t seem to do it maliciously but get momentarily confused or somehow don’t notice the stop arm, said Gov. Mifflin School District spokeswoman Melissa Fullerton.
“We’ve had people call in
tears to apologize,” she said.
But regardless of the reason, the consequences of passing a stopped bus are as serious at it gets, Serafin said.
“There is a risk of someone getting killed,” he said. “We could have a disaster on our hands.”
The Exeter School Board approved buying the cameras in part to crack down on those passing buses, but also to serve as a deterrent, said Dr. David Hemberger, board president.
Hopefully drivers will learn that Exeter’s buses have cameras and think of the potential fine and loss of license if they get caught passing one when it’s stopped, he said.
In Pennsylvania, a driver found guilty of illegally passing a school bus could lose their license for 30 days, along with a fine and a potential increase in insurance premiums.
The cameras cost $500 each with installation, but the board didn’t mind that $25,000 cost, Hemberger said.
“This was not a tough decision for us to make,” he said. “If it saves even one child from an injury, it would be worth every penny.”
Other districts
Exeter and Wilson are the only two districts in Berks that own buses, with the rest contracting for service.
That includes Brandywine Heights, which partners with Brandywine Transportation for its bus service.
Superintendent Andrew Potteiger agreed that stoparm cameras would be helpful in recognizing and reporting instances of drivers passing school buses, but he said the cost of cameras, along with having to increase storage capacity for video footage, is too high for the district.
“The technology is certainly advantageous, and hopefully the cost will become more manageable for implementation,” he said.
In the meantime, he said state police who cover the district have been good
about responding to violations the district reports.
Legality issue?
There are some groups in Pennsylvania who’ve opposed the use of stop-arm cameras, though, questioning the state law that allows them.
The law assumes the vehicle owner was driving or requires proof that they weren’t driving, they say, placing the burden on them to prove their innocence instead of requiring law enforcement to prove their guilt.
The law, created by Pennsylvania Act 159 of 2018, also does not require a minimum flashing yellow duration to ensure that only intentional violators are ticketed, and doesn’t allow for drivers coming from intersecting roads who may not realize they have to stop, they say.
Serafin has heard those complaints, but said as long as the law stands his department will continue to enforce it to help keep children safe.
Pushing ahead
Dr. Robert Phillips, Exeter superintendent, said he also has heard concerns that bus cameras are a case of “Big Brother” watching over them, but he said it’s more important to him that cases of people illegally passing the district’s buses seem to be declining as word of the cameras has spread.
“I value the lives of our students more than someone who doesn’t know the rules of the road,” he said.
Hemberger said he also is thankful for the law, which provides far more evidence of the drivers who pass school buses than the bus drivers could on their own.
“It’s an important way to better protect our children,” he said.
Wilson is looking to provide the same protection, and if after 90 days it’s convinced its test cameras provide clear footage, it plans to add them to the remaining 86 buses by next school year, said transportation director Randy Williams. That would involve adding two exterior cameras to each bus at a cost of $700 per set.
“Safety is our utmost concern,” he said. “We’re trying to prevent a potential catastrophe.”
“I value the lives of our students more than someone who doesn’t know the rules of the road.” — Dr. Robert Phillips, Exeter superintendent