D.C.’s Department of Transportation is reminding drivers that passing a stopped school buses will come with a hefty fine this school year. The Stop-Arm Safety program was launched in the final weeks of the last school year and it added cameras to 25 school bus stop arms.
The incident will be recorded and then passed to the DMV to send the ticket. Passing a school bus with its stop arm extended comes with a $500 fine.
According to D.C's Department of Transportation:
"Drivers are required by law to stop in each direction, unless separated by a median, at least 15 feet away from a school bus with an extended stop sign and flashing warning lights activated. When the stop-arm is deployed, the bus’s camera automatically detects vehicles that pass within the enforcement zone, records video of the vehicle, and captures images including the vehicle, its license plate, and the extended stop-arm. School bus stop-arm safety camera images will only be captured when the school bus stop-arm is extended, and lights are flashing. The fine amount for a school bus stop-arm safety infraction is $500"