Starting Monday, the cost of violating the school bus stop-arm law reached $250, now that a 30-day warning period granted by the Cleveland Police Department has expired.
The school system is using new technology to monitor traffic around school buses, according to a press release from Cleveland City Schools. The school system teamed with Cleveland police for Tennessee’s first enforcement program with BusPatrol devices installed on 10 school buses.
During the warning period, violators received warning letters that carried no fine or penalty, but that changed Monday, officials said. Now, drivers who fail to stop for a bus with its red lights flashing will face a $250 fine for a first offense and $500 for any subsequent offenses.
The technology includes stop-arm cameras powered by artificial intelligence to detect when drivers fail to stop for a stopped school bus with its red lights flashing and stop-arm deployed, officials said. Cleveland police will collect evidence from the device for review before a citation is sent to the registered owner of the vehicle involved.
(READ MORE: School bus safety weighs on Hamilton County drivers, schools)