Traffic enforcement cameras on Anne Arundel County school buses led to 19,317 citations during the 2023-2024 school year, averaging 98 citations per day, according to an Anne Arundel County Police report.

Almost all of the buses are equipped with cameras on the side to capture violations. The public safety traffic enforcement company BusPatrol was awarded the county school bus safety camera contract in June 2022 and the program launched the following October.

Anne Arundel County public schools’ 682 bus routes transport roughly 67,000 students each day.

From 2012 to 2022, 35 occupants of school transportation died in school-transportation-related traffic crashes nationwide, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. More than half of the school-age pedestrians killed in these crashes were between 5 and 10 years old.

When a school vehicle stops and flashes its red lights, traffic must stop at least 20 feet from the front or rear of the vehicle. In Maryland, the fine for illegally passing a stopped school bus captured by a camera is $250. If witnessed by a police officer, the driver receives a $570 fine and three points on their license.

When a vehicle illegally passes a school bus, a multi-lens camera on the side of the bus captures the violation. It records video footage, still images, the license plate number, the vehicle’s make and model, GPS location, and a timestamp. Once a possible violation is detected by the artificial intelligence in the camera’s software, the information is sent to BusPatrol’s processing center for verification.

After BusPatrol verifies a violation, it is sent to the Anne Arundel County Police Department’s automated Traffic Enforcement Unit for final review. Last year, from July 1 to June 30, 53,270 events were captured by the cameras, but only 19,317 resulted in citations, according to the August report. Anne Arundel County’s revenue from school bus safety camera citations was $366,891.

Certain bus stops saw more violations than others: the 2500 block of Riva Road in Annapolis had 797 citations; the 7800 block of Telegraph Road in Severn had 581; and Annapolis Road at Newmanstown Drive had 470 citations.

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