School bus cameras will be back to catching dangerous drivers after change in law

A new state law will permit Arlington County and the city of Falls Church to reactivate enforcement cameras on their school buses, which help snag motorists who illegally pass stopped school buses. The violation, which school officials say endangers young people as they get on and off of school buses, is difficult for police to monitor because of the volume of buses and because pursuing offenders can put children at risk.

The school districts suspended their bus camera programs in October after Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring (D) wrote an opinion saying that police did not have the authority to mail summonses based on evidence from the cameras. The opinion did not bar school districts from using the cameras, but it would have forced police to deliver the summonses — which carried a $250 fine — by hand. That proved too much of a burden for Falls Church and Arlington, and both jurisdictions opted to turn their cameras off.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/school-bus-cameras-will-be-back-to-catching-dangerous-drivers-after-change-in-law/2016/06/21/78cd1cca-37d1-11e6-9ccd-d6005beac8b3_story.html