Washington Cameras Catch Drivers Illegally Passing School Buses

A school district in Pierce County, Wash. has issued an average of 30 citations a month since it mounted cameras on school buses last winter to catch drivers illegally passing buses.

The News Tribune of Tacoma reported that the violations, costing $394 each, have resulted in more than $48,000 in additional revenue for the Bethel School District.

The district is one of the first in the state to use a state law passed several years ago allowing traffic cameras on school buses.

Five of the district’s 200 school buses were equipped with cameras. The trial period with cameras on stop-sign paddles in 2014, but ticketing didn’t begin until January of this year.

In all, 149 citations were issued. Another 89 potential violations from June are awaiting review by school resource officers.