Senator Anna M. Kaplan Urges Nassau School Districts to Opt-In to School Bus Safety Camera Program

CARLE PLACE, NY (October 21, 2019) -- Today, on the first day of National School Bus Safety Week, New York State Senator Anna M. Kaplan (D-Great Neck) is calling on Nassau County school districts to opt-in to a new state measure to enforce roadway safety laws and protect students who take the bus to and from school.

Senator Anna M. Kaplan said "I was proud to be the first Senate co-sponsor of this critical public safety measure that makes our roads safer and protects our kids on their way to school, and now that it's law I'm urging all Nassau County schools to do the right thing and opt-in to the safety camera program. Our kids deserve to have a safe trip to and from school, and we owe it to them to take action right away to ensure they're protected."

The new state measure that was passed earlier this year allows school districts to mount cameras to school bus stop-arms to catch drivers illegally passing a stopped school bus while students are getting on and off. Studies estimate that more than 40,000 drivers in New York illegally pass school buses each day, yet in Nassau County in 2018, only 79 people were ticketed for committing this dangerous act.

In order to enact a program and install cameras on local school buses, local school boards must first opt-in to the program, which is fully funded by fines collected, and has no cost burden to local schools.

Senator Anna M. Kaplan concluded "this new program gives us an opportunity to take action to make our communities safer for our kids, and we shouldn't delay action for another day."