Stop, you're on camera: Proposed state bill targets drivers passing stopped school buses

WORCESTER — Drivers who speed by stopped school buses may find a ticket waiting for them in their mailbox if state Sen. Michael O. Moore’s bill passes the Legislature.

Moore’s bill, which the Millbury Democrat filed in January, would give municipalities throughout the state decision-making power to install cameras on buses to help enforce traffic violations.

What would the proposal do?

It is illegal for drivers to drive by a school bus that has come to a complete stop and has activated its signals. The cameras, which would be installed on the bus and clearly labeled outside for drivers to see, would take snapshots of those who violate the law.

The cameras, Moore said, would operate similarly to traffic cameras and send an image to the police, who would then issue the fine. They would have 14 days to issue the violation to Massachusetts drivers, and 21 days for out-of-state drivers.

Fines of up to $200 already exist for drivers who break this law and are caught by police, but the new bill would include a maximum fine of $25 if caught by the camera.

“The violators will be allowed 60 days to contest the fine in writing by mail or online,” Moore said. “They can also request a hearing to contest the responsibility of it.”

Emergency vehicles with sirens activated are excluded from this violation, he said, while those without are not.

Who decides on the camera?

Moore said that the decision to install the cameras would be left up to municipal leaders in towns and cities throughout the state.

In Worcester, it would be up to Mayor Joseph M. Petty and the City Council, he said. But before they can decide on the matter, they must have a series of public hearings on the matter, allowing constituents to have a voice in the matter.

The costs of installing the cameras would also be left up to the municipalities, he said.

But Worcester Public School buses are already equipped with cameras, said School Committee member Tracy O'Connell Novick. The bill would simply make it so that the district would be able to enforce fines with the already-existing technology.

What inspired this bill?

Moore said his office was contacted by Novick, who said that the district had received a lot of complaints about this type of violation, and the need for a solution, such as installing the cameras.

The School Committee had passed a resolution calling on the incoming legislative delegation to “take action to allow the use of cameras on buses.” He decided to agree and filed the legislation.

O'Connell Novick's involvement

In addition to reaching out to Moore's office and filing the resolution, O'Connell Novick said she also became aware of a woman in Peabody named Maria Scheri who was also trying to tackle the issue.

Scheri has addressed the issue in the media and has also partnered with her local delegations, leading to O'Connell Novick trying to "join forces" with the Peabody activist to cast a wider net of cities calling for state lawmakers to take action.

"It seems like a pretty straightforward thing to simply fix in terms of law, to have a process in which those videos can generate at least tickets and citations for drivers who violate the red light stop arm," she said.

There have been instances of students being struck by cars in Worcester when walking to school or to their buses in the past, and O'Connell Novick said she and her children were up close witnesses of one of those events.

"There was a little girl who got hit in front of my own house, waiting for a school bus with my children, where someone missed the bus lights, and she was she was hurt badly enough to be in the hospital," she said. "Luckily, she's gotten better science, but it's one of those where, certainly, obviously, you end up with an injured child, but then everyone around it is also traumatized."

That's why, O'Connell Novick said, she's "thrilled" that Moore acted quickly on filing this bill, trying to make sure it "gets through" and for how he was both with her requests, as well as the rest of the School Committee's resolution.

Why install cameras?

Moore said that, due to the complaints he has received, it was “obvious” that there needs to be some form of “enhanced enforcement.”

“This is dealing with kids. This could be young kids up to high school, but the younger you are, I think there's more hazard and more chance for an accident to happen,” Moore said. “To me, this type of offense also weighed into the fact that we need to make sure that we protect these kids when they are in the custody of the city school system.”

Who has supported the bill?

The bill has been co-sponsored by state Sen. John Velis, who covers Hampden and Hampshire counties.

But aside from Velis, Moore said he has not had others come out and support the bill yet.

That is likely because, he said, it was filed in January along with 7,000 other bills. It will likely pick up more supporters, and detractors, as more people become aware of its existence.

Moore also highlighted that 24 other states have similar legislation in place, including Connecticut, Maine and Rhode Island.

Who has come out against the bill?

While he has not had anyone come out against the bill, Moore said he does expect some pushback from people who are concerned about privacy issues involving the cameras.

“Some people always look at any sort of video recordings and use of cameras as more of an intrusion on their privacy, in a more of a Big Brother approach in society,” he said.

He said that people cannot have an expectation of privacy when driving down a street, therefore it is not a matter of privacy.

The photos also have an expiration, Moore said. Photos have to be deleted within 48 hours of either the fine being paid or after the final disposition of the camera enforceable violation in court.

“We have taken all the safeguards possible so that we are not invading your privacy,” he said. “The other thing is to preserve the due process so that privacy, we are making sure that the police are destroying the videotape as soon as possible as soon as the possible infraction is resolved.”

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: State bill proposed school bus cameras to catch drivers not stopping