Florida bill would require cameras on school bus stop signs
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A Florida bill would require cameras on school bus stop signs as lawmakers once again call for changes. A Fort Pierce hit-and-run crash that killed a child last week is adding a new sense of urgency to the push which has failed the last three years.
Police say a driver last week ignored the signals in Fort Pierce - and ended up hitting and killing a 10-year-old girl while she was crossing the street to get on her bus to school. No arrest has been made as of Friday morning.
One day prior to the child’s death, State Representative Emily Slosberg proposed legislation that requires school districts to put cameras on the long arms outside the bus - aimed at the license plates to catch cars trying to get around the bus illegally.
Why has this has failed in the past? There has been a pushback to camera-enforced traffic laws in the past – such as during the introduction of red-light cameras -- which is why lawmakers have previously voted against the measure.
Yaceny Rodriguez-Gonzelez (Ft. Pierce Police Department)
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The proposed law would allow school districts to contract with private vendors to monitor the cameras, send pictures to law enforcement who would then mail a notice to a violator.
Currently, the penalty for failure to stop for a school bus is between $100 to $200, or $200 to $400, if it’s where the child enters and exits. If a second offense takes place within 5 years, the person’s license will be suspended for up to one year.