Chesterfield schools, police launch school bus safety program with BusPatrol

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Chesterfield County Public Schools and the Chesterfield County Police Department have recently partnered up alongside BusPatrol to help prevent reckless driving around school buses.

The program will start on Sept. 15 with a public awareness campaign and a 30-day warning period -- throughout which motorists who pass buses illegally will be given warning letters with no monetary penalty, according to a joint release.

On Oct. 15, ticketing will begin, and drivers who don't stop when a bus has its red lights flashing will receive a $250 fine in accordance with Virginia state law.

Additionally, nearly 700 buses in the school division will be equipped with safety technology over the course of the coming weeks, including stop-arm cameras that use artificial intelligence to catch motorists who don't stop for a bus with its red lights flashing.

The data gathered on the camera will then be shared with Chesterfield Police and a notice of violation will be issued to the registered vehicle owner.

Throughout the course of one day earlier this year, bus drivers reported 384 violations of motorists illegally driving past stopped school buses in Chesterfield, according to the school division's participation in the annual National Illegal Passing Survey.

For more information about the program, and the safety equipment coming to Chesterfield school buses, click here.