CULPEPER, Va. -Culpeper County Public Schools (CCPS) announces expansion of its bus camera program through a partnership with BusPatrol. BusPatrol is the leading stop-arm enforcement technology provider, to launch a school bus safety program to reduce the number of times motorists illegally pass school buses and put children at risk.
CCPS Division Superintendent Dr. Tony Brads said, “With the support of the Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office, the Commonwealth’s Attorney and the County Attorney, Culpeper County Public Schools has been a leader in the Commonwealth in terms of protecting our students by being one of the first school divisions to deploy stop arm cameras.”
The safety program will see school buses in CCPS modernized with advanced safety technology, including AI-powered cameras to capture the license plates of vehicles that violate school bus stopping laws. The technology, installation, and maintenance are provided at no cost to the school district or taxpayer through BusPatrol’s violator-funded program.
Kate Spree, a spokesperson for BusPatrol, said: “Every day, thousands of motorists illegally pass stopped school buses, with zero thought to the children whose lives they put at risk. We are proud to join forces with Culpeper County Public Schools to help make roads safer for students.”
The CCPS program started with a pilot program in 2018 that only included a few buses. “Our small-scale program served as a deterrent to stop arm violations however, violations proved to be problematic on many other bus routes. This expansion of our bus camera program with BusPatrol greatly increases coverage and consistency for the overall safety of our students and adds a level of reassurance for all our drivers,” Dr. Brads explained. The fleetwide implementation should be complete in May 2023.
In conjunction with the expansion, CCPS has developed a bus safety page on the website and is launching a public awareness campaign to educate motorists about school bus safety laws. The CCPS Bus Safety webpage can be found at https://www.culpeperschools.org/o/ccps/page/bus-safety or by clicking on Bus Safety in the “Community Links” section at the bottom of the main CCPS page.
Other Virginia school divisions who partner with BusPatrol are Gloucester County Public Schools, Newport News Public Schools, and Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools.
According to Virginia DMV, drivers must:
Stop for stopped school buses with flashing red lights and an extended stop sign when approaching from any direction. Remain stopped until everyone is clear and the bus moves again. Stop whenever the bus is loading or unloading passengers, even if the lights and stop sign are not activated. If a school bus is on the opposite side of a median or barrier, motorists aren’t required to stop; however, drivers should be prepared for students exiting the school bus and crossing into their lanes. The penalty for a first-time violation is $250.
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.
