Not all counties who have school bus cameras are seeing a decrease in the number of citations like Gwinnett County has. Cobb County has actually seen an increase in the number of violations.
Cobb County Officials held a meeting on Thursday to discuss ways to combat a 31% increase in the number of motorists illegally passing school buses.
Police department officials met with school district staff and representatives from ATS – the company that manages the cameras – to develop a plan for the school year to help lower the number of violations.
The system itself is simple. The ATS camera catches drivers who pass a school bus with its arm down. Those images are then sent to a Cobb County police sergeant who reviews the photos to determine if a violation occurred. If a violation occurred, ATS sends a $300 fine to the address on record for the vehicle.
In August, police records show a total of 2,241 violations. Last year, that number was 1,712. In 2014, the number was 1,822.
Sgt. Dana Pierce, a spokesperson for the Cobb County Police Department, said that they see an increase in August. While people are not used to seeing buses on the road, he also blames distracted driving.
The Cobb County School Board first approved the uses of the cameras on buses in 2012.
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