School bus stop-arm cameras cut illegal passing by a third — and generated 91,000 tickets

A review of stop-arm camera programs across 74 school districts found that illegal passing of stopped buses fell by an average of 34 percent on equipped routes within twelve months of installation. The review, carried out by a transportation safety institute and shared with MNC News before publication, covers the first four full school years of data.

Stop-arm cameras photograph vehicles that pass a bus while its arm is extended and its lights are flashing. A district employee or a contractor reviews each clip before a citation is issued.

The number nobody planned for

The programs also issued about 91,000 citations over the period studied, at fines ranging from $250 to $500. In sixteen districts, the revenue exceeded the cost of the cameras by a wide margin — in one case by more than four times.

That surplus has become the awkward part. Because most contracts pay the camera vendor a share of each ticket, critics argue the incentive runs the wrong way. “If the program works perfectly, it earns nothing,” said a school board member in a district that voted to renegotiate. “Any contract that pays more when it works less deserves a second look.”

We wanted fewer cars passing the bus. We did not want a budget line that depends on cars passing the bus.— A school board member in a district that renegotiated its contract

Where the money goes

Three boards have voted to direct any surplus into crossing guards, route redesign and moving stops off high-speed roads. Others have left the money in the general fund. Two states now cap the vendor’s share or require flat-fee contracts.

• Districts reviewed: 74, covering four full school years
• Effect: 34% average drop in illegal passing on equipped routes
• Citations: about 91,000 issued, at $250–$500 each
• Contracts: 16 districts collected more than the cameras cost; two states now cap vendor shares

The safety institute’s authors were careful about causation. Passing rates fell on unequipped routes in the same districts too, though by less — suggesting some of the effect comes from publicity rather than enforcement. “The cameras work,” one author said. “The signs telling people about the cameras also work, and they are much cheaper.”