MILCREEK, Pa. -Millcreek Township School District in Pennsylvania is excited to announce the launch of their new partnership with BusPatrol and Millcreek Township Police to tackle the illegal passing of stopped school busses. The partnership will be in effect on the first day of school: Monday, August 28th, 2023.
What It Means:
All MTSD busses will have cameras and photo enforcement technology to detect the license plates of vehicles that fail to stop for school buses, putting children at risk. The video evidence is shared with local law enforcement for review before a citation is issued.
The programs will go live on August 28th, 2023, following an education and public awareness campaign. The campaign seeks to educate motorists and learner drivers about school bus safety laws and teach school children how to get on and off the bus as safely as possible. This education will be ongoing once the program is live.
“MTSD cares about the wellbeing of its students before anything else and we are very happy this program will elevate safety at our bus stops. We prefer no one receives a citation because we hope all drivers will be respecting Pennsylvania laws and the safety perimeters of our busses,” Assistant Superintendent Trevor Murnock said.
Last October, Pennsylvania authorities reported more than 250 stop-arm violations in one day during Operation Safe Stop. In 2020, Allentown School District captured over 200 illegal passings on just two school buses over a 47-day stop-arm study. This is equal to 2.18 violations per bus per day.
Kate Spree, a spokesperson for BusPatrol, said that the safety initiative is proven to make roads safer: “Every day, thousands of cars ignore school bus stop-arms and speed past school buses as children are stepping on and off. Sadly, this dangerous motorist behavior is only getting worse. Our safety programs combine education and enforcement to change driver behavior and ensure that all motorists know when to stop for the big yellow bus. In some communities, our programs have reduced the rate of illegal passing by up to 30% YoY.”
In addition to stop-arm cameras, MTSD will equip its buses with safety features at no cost to the district or taxpayers. The technology, installation, and maintenance are funded by violation revenue over a 5-year term. As stated by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, motorists must stop at least 10 feet away from school buses with red lights flashing and stop-arm extended. The penalty for a firsttime violation is $300.
To learn more about the School Bus Safety Program, go to: https://www.mtsd.org/parents/transportation/buspatrol
More information will be made public by the District in the coming weeks through our website and social media. All media requests should be directed to MTSD’s Coordinator of School Communications, LiAnna Schwerer at schwerer@mtsd.org Thank you!
About BusPatrol:
BusPatrol is a safety technology company with the mission of making the journey to and from school safer for children. BusPatrol’s safety programs change driver behavior and create a culture of awareness and responsibility around school buses. In addition, they provide accessibility for school districts and municipalities to modernize their entire school bus fleets by outfitting them with the latest stop-arm, route planning, and route execution technology.
