Drivers who illegally pass school buses in Baltimore County will see $250 fines starting Nov. 4, the Baltimore County Police Department said Tuesday.
As of Monday, the department said it had issued 5,549 warning citations since the school bus cameras were turned on for the first day of school, Aug. 26. As of Sept. 23, the department had issued 3,468 citations.
That’s more than 2,000 citations issued to drivers who did not stop for a school bus when its red lights were flashing in just two weeks of school.
Between Aug. 26 and Oct. 7, BCPS had 28 full days of school, according to the BCPS calendar. That works out to an average of 198 citations issued per school day.
In August, Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough said 387 cars illegally passed school buses in a single day during a study his department conducted.
About 80,000 students ride the bus in Baltimore County, and the system has nearly 1,000 buses. A spokesperson for the school system said in an email that installation of the cameras is still underway, and should be completed “over the next several weeks.”
Drivers are still receiving warning citations, said police spokesperson Joy Lepola-Stewart in an email Monday morning. Once the warning period is closed, drivers can expect to see $250 fines if they’re caught.
Lepola-Stewart said the period for switching from warnings to citations was pending, and dependent on the installation of cameras across all the buses.
Citations are reviewed, verified and approved by a member of the county police department before being mailed to the registered owner of a vehicle. There are no points on a license associated with the citation, according to the department.
Myriam Rogers, superintendent of Baltimore County Public Schools, said in August that the expenses from the cameras, GPS and other safety features should be “fully funded” from violation revenue.