WTOP: External school bus cameras document unsafe motorists
WASHINGTON -- This bus stops bad drivers.
Montgomery County school buses are now equipped with external cameras, keeping an eye on surrounding drivers when the stop sign is out and the red lights are on.
The new safety enforcement tactic aims at documenting drivers who don't adhere to school bus safety procedures.
"It happens way too frequently, and each time it happens it's a potentially dangerous situation for kids," says Todd Watkins, director of transportation for Montgomery County schools.
Roughly 100 buses have had the cameras installed. While the footage they document can't yet lead to tickets for drivers, the school system remains vigilant.
"We will then find those spots on the video, and download those and keep those as part of our data gathering," Watkins says.
Legislation allowing for automated fines is set for consideration next year.
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More on this from MCPS here. The cameras cost $500 each and were installed on 96 buses. That was $48,000 that Superintendent Weast found for this project in this "bare-bones" budget.
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More on this from MCPS here. The cameras cost $500 each and were installed on 96 buses. That was $48,000 that Superintendent Weast found for this project in this "bare-bones" budget.
MCPS was also not transparent in sharing its plans with the community to install the large retaining walls as part of the Key MS modernization. However, at Key there was a second issue of transparency: the reason for the retaining walls. At Key MCPS did not disclose its plan to make an extreme change in the school’s elevation and how this would impact the surrounding residents. Is this the case with the other MCPS schools that are getting retaining walls, too?
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