UP-DATE ON ALABAMA SENATE BILL 144

BILL WOULD ALLOW STOP-ARM CAMERAS ON ALABAMA BUSES

In Montgomery, Alabama a bill has made its way through the state Legislature that would allow local boards of education to approve the use of stop-arm cameras to capture motorists who illegally pass school buses.

Under Senate Bill (SB) 144, also known as the Alabama School Bus Safety Act, a school board may approve the use of these cameras by voting at a meeting, and members may elect to operate a school bus enforcement program without the involvement of the governing body or sheriff by utilizing a trained technician.

Alternately, if such a program is approved by a school board and authorized by a resolution enacted by the governing body, the board would be permitted to enter into an agreement with a contractor (in this case, a company that provides services to a board or governing body, including, but not limited to, automated devices, citation processing and collection of the civil fines) for all aspects of managing the stop-arm cameras. Prior to entering into a contract, the board would be required to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the appropriate law enforcement agencies.

The fine for a stop-arm violation under the legislation would be a maximum of $300 for the first offense, $750 for a second offense and $1,000 for each subsequent offense in a five-year period.

After deducting costs to run the program, 40% of the fine would go to the county or municipal governing body that contracted for the operation of a school bus violation program, 40% would go to the school system where the offense was committed and 10% each would go to the state Department of Education for school bus safety initiatives and to the Alabama Department of Public Safety for highway safety enforcement.

The bill would take effect on the first day of the third month following approval by the governor.

The Department of Public Safety has stated more than 23 million students nationwide and there are 27,000 student in Mobile County ride a school bus to and from school everyday. And it can be dangerous for students loading, especially when drivers are not obeying stop arms or stop signs on school buses. For drivers who do not abide by the law can be charged. Mitchell stated "The target for us is not to make sure law enforcement issues citations, that's not our intended goal. Our intended goal is to make sure our children are safe everyday." Most drivers do not know when and where to stop for a school bus. For example, If you're on a four lane highway, oncoming traffic does not have to stop. It's only the traffic going in the same direction as the school bus. However, if you're on a two lane highway with no divider or median, then both directions of traffic must come to a complete stop.

'As a student I've ridden on a bus and I've seen violations first hand.' as well as a police officer I have ticked violators, and it scares me to think that people are blatant enough to run a stop sign that's on the side of a school bus. As a parent that should scare you, because that could be your child one day. So it's something that we take seriously. It's something as community we have to look after and be aware of in precinct 65. Back in 2012 while patrolling after school buses to make sure drivers were obeying the law, my present would detour them from violating, This is just one of my goals to monitor the traffic around school buses and detour violations in precinct 65, to make sure your children can cross the street to enter or exit a bus safely.

Thirty two year old Shena Hardin of Cleveland, OH was sentence by a judge a $250.00 fine and pendants to stand on a street corner with a sign saying "only an idiot would drive on a side to avoid a school bus," and her license was taken for 30 days dude to this traffic violation which could have taken a child's life. The link to the video will show Shena Hardin driving on the sidewalk to go around a stopped school bus with its stop arm out and lights flashing. The driver of the bus stated "she comes though here at 7:30 every morning, she go's around the school bus every morning." The driver of the bus captured video on his cell phone and reported the violation. Her reason for doing so "she didn't want to wait."