Drivers take note: School opens this week, which means those familiar yellow buses will be back on the roads right alongside everyone else. And with that drive-safe reminder, here's another — school buses here are now equipped with stop-arm cameras to catch and penalize drivers who fail to brake for buses with flashing red lights.
The Suffolk County program is about a year and a half old. First-time offenders can find themselves with fines of $250, and any violations thereafter within 18 months of the initial incident are subject to an additional $25 penalty, up to $300.
In April 2021, when the initiative was first announced, Suffolk County data from similar safety programs showed that 94 percent of first-time offenders do not receive a second ticket.
