A new school year begins with a new law as Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill with one of the highest minimum fines for passing a school bus in the nation.
In April, the legislature passed “Addy’s Law” to fine motorists at least $1,000 and imprison them for up to a year when convicted of illegally passing a school bus. The law took effect on July 1.
This law is named after 8-year-old Adalynn Pierce, who was hit and killed while attempting to board her school bus in February. According to local news, her family advocated for stricter punishment after she died.
The Georgia Department of Education states on its website that “all drivers are required to stop when meeting or overtaking a stopped school bus that has its red lights flashing and its stop arm extended when loading or unloading passengers.”
Additionally, an online graphic explains different situations a driver can potentially run into while driving near a stopped school bus.
For instance, when a bus is stopped in a two lane, vehicles traveling in both directions must also stop. When a bus stops on a multi-lane paved road, vehicles traveling in both directions must stop. Lastly, when a bus is stopped in a divided highway by dirt, grass or barrier media, then vehicles behind the must stop, while motorists traveling in the opposite direction can continue driving but must use caution.
The National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation reported that the estimated number of motorists who illegally pass school buses had risen around 4 percent last school year nationwide. The data shows that approximately 9,189 Georgia motorists illegally passed a stopped school bus during a voluntary one-day count in the spring.
The Georgia fine is tied for the nation’s largest minimum amount. The Utah legislature passed a bill to increase its minimum fine for illegal passing to $1,000 in May.
According to AARP, the state with the lowest illegal passing fine is Wisconsin at $30. However, the most common fines in states are approximately $250 to $500.
Additionally, Addy’s law also requires public school districts to prioritize bus routes to avoid having student cross-roads that have a speed limit of more than 40 mph.
A survey conducted by AAA says 41 percent off Georgians admitted to driving over the speed limit while in an active school zone. Thirty percent admitted to using a hand-held cell phone while in an active school zone
Lee County Schools Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Truitt told local news reporters that 17 of the 64 routes in their district have been changed since Addy’s Law was signed. The school district is working towards ensuring its students’ safety.
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In addition, Verra Mobility, a company that focuses on smart mobility technology created a school bus stop-arm program in Georgia with the aim of enhancing safety in school zones. This program uses cameras to capture when a vehicle passes a stopped school bus within an enforcement zone.
The images and videos captured by the camera are sent to be reviewed by law enforcement and if a violation is found, the registered owner will receive a citation by mail
A Verra Mobility spokesperson told STN that the program has issued more than 98,000 citations for illegally passing a stopped school bus during the 2023-2024 school year. However, because citations are shown to change a driver’s behavior, the number of tickets issued decreased as the school year went on.
“Verra Mobility’s Georgia stop-arm program collectively saw a 52 percent reduction in citations from illegal school bus passing from the beginning of the school year vs the end” stated the spokesperson. “Some programs witnessed as much as a 70 percent reduction in illegal school bus passing”
Atlanta Public Schools is one of the Georgia districts that showed a significant reduction in citations with 64 percent when comparing the first month of school with the last .
The program showed that 98 percent of people who received a citation for passing a stopped school bus, did not receive a second citation.
