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Nearly 3,000 drivers blew past stop signs as students got on or off school buses in one district last year, according to a newly-released study that local officials say proves New Jersey’s law needs to change. The Woodbridge Township School District partnered with a camera company to track drivers who failed to stop for school buses. From Sept. 4 to June 18 of the last school year, the Middlesex County district recorded 2,840 instances of cars illegally passing stopped buses, local officials said. That was 2.2 illegal passes per school bus per day, the study found. The district used AI-powered stop-arm cameras from the company BusPatrol to record the vehicles passing the buses. “Our school bus safety pilot results confirm what we often hear from our bus drivers and parents — that careless drivers are regularly putting our students at risk on community roadways when they disregard stopped school buses,” Woodbridge Superintendent Joseph Massimino said. The number of violations was alarming, Massimino said. “These statistics are staggering and should motivate our leaders and the broader community to take action. The safety of our students is non-negotiable, and we need every tool available to protect them,” he said. Assemblyman Robert Karabinchak, D-Middlesex, sponsored a bill, A1432, that would authorize the use of cameras on school buses to catch moving violations. State lawmakers introduced the legislation last year, but it hasn’t reached a committee for a vote. An identical bill in the state Senate has also not advanced. Under the current law, drivers are required to stop at least 25 feet from a school bus that has activated its flashing lights. For a first offense, drivers can get a fine of at least $100 and up to 15 days in prison or community service. Under the proposed law, passing a school bus could lead to fines of up to $500 and as many as 15 days of community service, depending on the number of offenses. The bill also has Republican support. “Across the country, more and more states are taking steps to address threats to school bus safety using technology to change driver behavior and make our roads safer for children,” Karabinchak said. “The data is clear: This works. In communities that have adopted this technology, we’ve seen violations drop year over year. Now it’s time for New Jersey to pass this common-sense legislation and give our school districts the opportunity to take advantage of these proven safety tools,” he added. Phillipsburg police in Warren County also recently posted video of cars blowing past school buses on its Facebook page. The police department collaborated with local schools to share bus camera videos that capture drivers passing buses with flashing lights and extended stop signs.
