Failing to stop for a school bus will net drivers a $250 ticket

Drivers who pass a school bus stopped to let children on or off can now be fined $250.

Fairfax County Public Schools installed cameras on 50 school buses to catch drivers who violate the law against stopping when a bus’s stop arm is extended.

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After the warning period expired, the program went live on May 12. The cameras on the stop-arms detect violators and send videos of their cars and license plates to the Fairfax County Police Department. The police review the images before sending out a “notice of infraction.”

FCPS has some 1,600 school buses. If the program is effective, it could be expanded. Several nearby jurisdictions have school bus camera enforcement programs, WTOP reports. In D.C., the fine for failing to stop is $500.