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How camera's on Hillsborough and Polk County are catching reckless drivers

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Published  October 22, 2024 5:30pm EDT
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FOX 13 News

Traffic cameras installed on school bus stop signs in Hillsborough and Polk Counties

Fox 13's Ariel Plasencia reports on the effect of new traffic cameras installed on school bus stop signs in Hillsborough and Polk Counties.

TAMPA, Fla. - Drivers in Hillsborough and Polk Counties should drive carefully around school buses in the future.

Hillsborough County Public School (HCPS) buses said thousands of citations have already been written this school year for drivers who illegally passed stopped school buses, according to the company that installed new cameras.

READ MORE: Hillsborough schools introduces new cameras to catch drivers illegally passing stopped buses 

Virginia-based company BusPatrol installed roughly a dozen cameras inside and outside every HCPS bus in the district. 

BusPatrol staff uses artificial intelligence technology to quickly sift through all the video recorded by these new cameras to identify the license plates of drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses. 

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office then reviews the footage. 

The first 30 days of the school year was a warning period for drivers. The system went live on Sept. 12, and citations were issued then.

Since then, BusPatrol said that over 6,500 motorists have been cited for illegally passing a stopped school bus in Hillsborough County.

BusPatrol Chief Growth Officier Steve Randazzo expects the rate of tickets given out in Hillsborough County to decrease as drivers adjust to the new feature.

"We see the numbers as being -- compared to our national average -- very high in the Tampa area," said Randazzo. "I think that's somewhat to be expected because people are not yet used to the enforcement."

View from the camera installed on Hillsborough and Polk County school bus stop signs.

View from the camera installed on Hillsborough and Polk County school bus stop signs.

Randazzo said. "So it usually takes a few months for that to really pierce the psyche of the average driver."

Randazzo said that drivers are now receiving these citations in the mail.

Video recorded from BusPatrol cameras on Sept. 18 shows cars whizzing by a stopped HCPS bus, and shortly after that, pedestrians are seen crossing the street.

"I mean, people really pass the school bus in all directions: same side of the bus, opposing side of the bus," said Randazzo.

The brand-new cameras on Polk County school buses confirm that sentiment, too.

Polk County Public Schools (PCPS) posted a video recorded from their new camera system on Sept. 21. 

The video shows cars ignoring extended stop signs on school buses. In one instance, multiple vehicles pass by a stopped bus’s flashing lights as two pedestrians cross the traffic lanes and run into a nearby gas station.

PCPS’ Rob Davis said that videos confirm the need for the cameras on the school buses. 

READ MORE: Polk County schools renegotiate school bus camera contract after scrutiny over potential state law

"Those videos were very, very telling," said Davis. "I'm glad that we have a mechanism in place now that can help enforce the stop-arm violations."

After a warning period—just like in Hillsborough County—citations started being issued in Polk County on Sept. 24. From Sept. 24 to Oct. 7, 1,654 citations were issued, according to Davis.

"I wholeheartedly think it's working," Davis said of the new camera system. "I think our students are safer."

Drivers being caught avoiding school bus stop signs on new traffic cameras installed on Hillsborough and Polk County school buses.

Drivers are caught avoiding school bus stop signs on new traffic cameras installed on Hillsborough and Polk County school buses. 

In compliance with new state laws, both school districts have worked out deals with their camera companies—PCPS with Verra Mobility and HCPS with BusPatrol—where the districts use revenue from citations to pay for this program.

"It's not about the money. It's never been about funds generated," Said Davis. "It's the fact that the enforcement of these stop arms is finally being enforced, and students are safer."

In Hillsborough and Polk counties, the school districts also work closely with their sheriff’s offices, which decide whether a violation has occurred.       

If these cameras record you illegally passing a stopped school bus, you’ll be fined 225 dollars, more than the red light violation fine.  

This week marks National School Bus Safety Week, which the school districts and their camera system partners hope will raise awareness of stop-arm violations. 

Verra Mobility’s Belinda Olivares said protecting children from dangerous drivers is crucial.

"School buses carry very precious cargo…our students," said Olivares. 

Olivares said, "while protecting their safety is a daily priority, this week allows us to spotlight the importance of safe school bus transportation and reduce the risks to children."

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