New bus safety program in Chesterfield uses tech company that faced lawsuits for AI tickets
VENN
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Chesterfield County Public Schools (CCPS) and the county's police department launched a new bus safety program on Monday, teaming up with a company that uses cameras with artificial intelligence to issue traffic violations.
That company, BusPatrol, has been the subject of several lawsuits, as have the jurisdictions that use its tech across the country.
For the next 30 days, drivers who pass buses illegally will get a warning letter. Starting Oct. 15, that will escalate to a $250 fine in accordance with Virginia state law.
According to a release from CCPS, every Chesterfield school bus will be equipped with cameras that automatically capture any vehicle that drives past a bus with its stop arm extended and red lights flashing.
BusPatrol's website advertises that this program is available at no cost, "made possible through a violator-funded cost recovery model." That means the company keeps money from fines paid for citations it issued.
One investigation of the program in Pittsburgh by WPXI found the company made $1.7 million from tickets in just nine months. It's not clear what share of the fines the company will get in Chesterfield.
Counties and jurisdictions in New York and Florida have also faced legal challenges over their use of BusPatrol on local buses.
CCPS said each incident captured by the cameras will be reviewed by trained county staff before a notice is issued.
BusPatrol's website states that the program fosters a "culture of awareness and responsibility around school buses and children," and claims that 90% of violators do not receive a second ticket.
CCPS also said in a national survey earlier this year that district bus drivers reported 384 passing violations in a single day.
8News reached out to CCPS for more information about the portion of fines paid that will be allocated to BusPatrol and to determine if the district is aware of the legal challenges the company has faced. We also reached out to BusPatrol. At the time of reporting, we have not heard back from either.
