Miami-Dade using cameras to catch drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses

MIAMI - Drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses in Miami-Dade will now pay the price.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools has partnered with Miami-Dade police and BusPatrol to launch the largest school bus stop-arm camera enforcement program in the country.

In 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation that allows the state's school districts to use cameras to catch drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses with red flashing lights and extended stop signs.

In a first for South Florida, a month ago Miami-Dade's public school district started outfitting its fleet of 1,000 school buses with stop-arm cameras . They instituted a 30 day warning period and launched a campaign to educate drivers on the dangers of illegally passing a school bus.

In that time, more than 10,000 warning notices were mailed to drivers. On Wednesday, May 8th, the warning period will end. Drivers caught illegally passing a stopped school bus in the county will receive a minimum $200 ticket in the mail.

In addition to the stop-arm cameras, the buses now have interior cameras "to safeguard students and bus drivers against incidents that happen on the bus," according to the school district.