NJ drivers blow past school buses; now lawmakers want cameras watching

🔴 Traffic cameras could return to NJ — but only near schools.

🔴 Bill would install cameras on school buses and in school zones.

🔴 Recent shock study finds dangerous driving around students.

Traffic cameras that automatically ticket drivers are banned in New Jersey, but state lawmakers want to make exceptions for schools.

Traffic cameras would be installed on school buses and in school zones if a new bill becomes law. The goal is to catch drivers who illegally pass school buses on the streets and drive dangerously near students on their way to school, said Sen. Troy Singleton, D-Burlington.

Under the bill (S3218), each violation would carry a $75 fine. These tickets would also not issue any points to violators.

Singleton said lawmakers would make it absolutely clear that cameras could not be used for enforcement outside of school hours. And despite some skepticism, he said it's not about the money.

"All revenues go back to safety improvements around schools and not to anyone's general fund. So, the idea that this is just an out-and-out revenue grab is a bit unfair," Singleton said.

Woodbridge Bus Patrol pilot program revealed thousands of stop-arm violations

Singleton's bill is not a new endeavor; he's been trying to get external cameras installed on school buses for at least a decade. This time could be different.

Support for these cameras has grown since last year, when a Bus Patrol pilot program put similar cameras on Woodbridge school buses.

In one school year, they found that 2,840 drivers blew past school buses with extended stop signs. These stop arm violations carry fines of at least $100 and up to 15 days in jail, though catching such drivers can seem almost impossible.

During lame duck last month, the General Assembly passed a similar bill without a single lawmaker voting against it. However, it never made it to a vote in the state Senate before former Gov. Phil Murphy left office.

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