Caught on Camera

Goshen, NY - Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus and the Department of Emergency Management unveiled alarming new data showing motorists failing to stop for school buses as they pick up and drop off students on their way to schools in Orange County.

"With school back in session, my emergency management command team, and I are 100 percent behind this push for enhanced public safety," said Neuhaus. "We have seen some of the videos from our trial period over the summer, and there have been many close calls and violations. That is alarming and unacceptable. When you see the red lights flashing and the stop arm comes out, you must stop. It will keep students safe and could save lives."

Since the start of the program in May, the County has issued 1,895 citations for passing a school bus, with the bulk of those incidents, 722, occurring in June. The footage also shows that children were most at risk during the afternoon drop-off hours, with many of those violations occurring between 3:00 and 4:00 pm.

"With the return to school, remember that our school bus stop arm program is here to ensure your child's safety," said Peter Cirigliano, Commissioner, Orange County Department of Emergency Services. "Slow down when you see the yellow lights flashing, rather than speeding along before the red lights activate. Let's work together to keep our children safe on their way to and from school."

The school districts currently involved include Washingtonville Central, Newburgh Enlarged City, Kiryas Joel Union Free, and Middletown Enlarged City, with five others signing on in the near future.

Observed during the summer trial period, a series of videos showcasing some of the dangerous violations of motorists illegally passing school buses was captured.

Earlier this year, Orange County partnered with BusPatrol, the nation's most deployed school bus safety camera solution, to modernize fleets of 500+ buses with cutting-edge automated photo enforcement technology. The program creates evidence packages to aid law enforcement in addressing illegal school bus passings.

According to Justin Meyers, President and Chief Innovation Officer at BusPatrol, the solution is proven to make roads safer. "These results are shocking, but not surprising given the national epidemic that exists with illegal school bus passings," said Meyers. "BusPatrol is committed to strong partnerships with our municipal partners to provide them with the most advanced technology to better enforce state laws, hold violators accountable, and enhance road safety."

New York State law requires that motorists stop at least 10 feet away from a stopped school bus with its red lights flashing and stop-arm deployed. The penalty for a first-time violation is $250 and a second time is $275.

Each year, thousands of children are needlessly put at risk due to reckless and illegal driver behavior around school buses, which can have fatal and tragic consequences. The National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services states that school buses are passed over 45.2 million times per year in the United States.

"It's been eye-opening and disturbing to see the number of motorists passing stopped school buses here in Orange County, which jeopardizes the safety of students as they get on and off the bus," said Robert Doss, Deputy Commissioner, Orange County Department of Emergency Management, Police Liaison, Division of Police Services. "Motorists need to be alert and stop for school buses that have their red lights flashing. Our new school bus safety program has zero tolerance for violators. School bus safety is the responsibility of everyone using the roads."

For information on the Orange County school bus safety program, visit https://www.orangecountygov.com/2478/School-Bus-Safety-Program.

For more information, contact Rebecca Sheehan, Assistant to County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus, Director of Public Information and Media Relations, at 845.291.2700 or [email protected].

To learn more about what County Executive Neuhaus is doing for Orange County, follow Orange County Government and Steven M. Neuhaus on Facebook, @Orange County NY Govt and @steve.neuhaus on Instagram, and @OCGovNY and @SNeuhausOC on X. You can also watch Neuhaus' NeuCast podcasts and Leadership Speaker Series on YouTube.

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