WPBN: Drivers might face severe fines of up to $2,000 under a new road legislation that is only days away from taking effect and is intended to safeguard youngsters.
The bill, which was approved by the House and Senate of Oregon in March, would permit the installation of cameras on school buses’ stop arms to record drivers who pass unlawfully when the safety lights are flashing.
School districts are free to choose whether or not to place cameras on their school buses, even though the state regulation is not mandatory.
“”They are passing us on the left. They are passing us coming at us,” Bend-La Pine Schools’ transportation director, told KOIN.
“We’ve even had one pass us on the right side.”
The local police would have to watch the footage of the incident and look for evidence, so school districts would have to send it to them.
A ticket will be mailed to the driver within ten days of the alleged infraction if police find that the motorist recklessly drove through a school bus with its stop arm outstretched and its flashing lights on.
Following that, the motorist has 30 days to reply to the citation.
A punishment of up to $2,000 might be imposed on drivers who pass a school bus that has stopped and has red lights blinking.
“[The cameras] are on the stop arm, so when the stop arm is deployed, they see who is coming and going,” Crabtree stated.
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“Kids are impulsive. Even though we might remind them every day, ‘Hey, wait on the curb until we cross you’ because the driver has mirrors where they can see what’s coming behind them, sometimes kids just run, and sometimes it’s really a dangerous situation.”
Portland Public Schools stated to KCBY-TV that they intend to equip its buses with cameras, even though they have a limited budget.
“That would be the other side of it if they have to pull money from somewhere else and what programs are cut or what else is lost in the context of putting something like this in place,” parent Darren Stowell stated.
According to law advocate Sheraya Chest, schools need to take all necessary precautions to keep their pupils safe.
“We just have to do like little steps. It’s just like so small things make a big difference,” Chest stated.
The bill will become operative on January 1, 2025.
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