Hall County schools and the sheriff’s office launched a campaign Friday reminding motorists to use care near school buses and warning that illegally passing stopped school buses will get you a ticket. And there’s something new being implemented this year which it’s hoped will deter motorists from violating the “stopped school bus” law.
“Our students deserve a safe journey to and from school,” said Billy Wells, Director of Transportation for the Hall County School District. “We are asking motorists to take personal responsibility as they commute during the mornings and afternoons while our school buses are on the roads, picking up and dropping off students. At the same time, we want them to remember many of our school buses are equipped with stop‑arm cameras for added safety.”
Stopping for a school bus with the stop‑arm extended is Georgia law, but too many drivers continue to skirt the rule. This year, the school district has contracted with Verra Mobility in an upgrade to the school bus stop‑arm safety program. Fifty buses will be equipped with the stop‑arm cameras at the start of the school year, with plans to add more as soon as feasible.
“Last year, the school district launched a camera program but we quickly realized during the warning phase of the program we didn’t have adequate manpower in our courts to handle the volume of citations that would be generated,” said Capt. Michael Mount with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office Uniform Patrol Division. “Our deputies continued to watch for violators and ticketed motorists who failed to comply with the stop‑arm law, but we certainly missed some violations. Now that we have worked out the logistics, we are confident we can catch more drivers who neglect to stop for school buses that are loading and unloading students.”
With the re‑launch of the program, motorists will have an eight‑week warning period to familiarize themselves with the regulations. Following this grace period, violators will be subject to a fine of up to $1,000.
Additional information is available on both the school district and Hall County Sheriff’s Office social media platforms.
County schools begin the new year next Friday. The city school system’s first day of classes is Tuesday.
FAQs
Stopping for a school bus with the stop‑arm extended is Georgia law, but many drivers in Hall County break that law every day. Students should be able to get to and from school safely without worrying about other road users. The Hall County School District, with support from the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, is taking action with an upgraded school bus stop‑arm camera program.
What has the school district done? Fifty Hall County School District buses are now equipped with state‑of‑the‑art stop‑arm cameras to capture violators. The cameras activate when the bus stops and the stop‑arm is extended. The goal is to change driver behavior to keep streets safe for students, bus drivers and all road users.
How does it work? When the stop‑arm is deployed, the camera automatically detects vehicles that pass the stopped school bus within the enforcement zone. When a violation occurs, the cameras record video and capture images, including the vehicle, its license plate and the extended stop‑arm. Law enforcement reviews the violation video and license plate images for approval before issuing a citation. Notice of any violation will be mailed to the vehicle’s registered owner.
How much is a citation? The fine is up to $1,000 for all violators, according to Georgia law (OCGA §40‑6‑163).
Will it affect my driver’s license or insurance rates? No. This is considered a civil infraction and will not be reported on driving records or to insurance companies.
Where will the citation fees from this program go? Revenue from citations will support the program, including camera maintenance and event processing. It is designed to be self‑sufficient. Per Georgia law, any surplus may only be used to fund local public safety initiatives.
What about data and privacy? The system is designed to capture only the rear license plate of the violating vehicle and will not record the faces of drivers, passengers or bystanders. All data will eventually be permanently destroyed.
In an interview with 97.5 Glory FM two years ago about problem motorists on his route, veteran Hall County bus driver Don Sims said it’s not that much of a problem for him but that’s probably because his route is primarily along narrow side roads and streets.
“The main roads are worse than side streets as a general rule. We are taught to be aware of vehicles in both directions when coming to a stop. We are to make sure cars stop before we let kids off. I am lucky having small-width side roads, but I still have had about five instances over four years where vehicles have passed my stopped bus.
Sims is beginning his sixth year this year as a bus driver for the county.
That full interview is available here: Hall bus driver discusses sharing the road