We’ve seen it happen again and again, kids nearly getting hit by cars that fail to stop for school buses. And now, Cheltenham Township is taking action to protect students at bus stops. NBC10’s Deanna Durante has the details.
Police in one Montgomery County town are calling for stiffer fines and punishments for drivers who ignore school bus laws.
During a press conference, the Cheltenham Township Police Department shared videos that show several times drivers failed to stop and nearly hit students.
Township officials and police said despite a million dollars in fines over a one-year period, it continues to be a problem.
"Frequently, we see that drivers that are unaware that a bus is even present due to their use of a cellphone or some other distracting activity that is affecting their ability to pay attention to what is going on around them, " said Lt. Andrew Snyder of the Cheltenham Police Department.
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Bus patrol cameras have caught more than 700 violations in October alone. Officials had installed the new cameras just last year.
Every time a car passes a bus stop sign and lights are activated, the video is sent to the police for review.
"We're seeing repeat violators, where $300 wasn't enough, so they do it again and again," Snyder added. "So either increasing the fines or having some other additional enhancement such as a driver's license or vehicle registration suspension are some very real possibilities that we've been talking to our elected officials about."
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