New Law Allows for Camera…

Due to a new Michigan law, it is now easier to ticket drivers who pass a stopped school bus that is displaying red flashing lights.

A new law amends the Michigan Vehicle Code to allow a school bus to be equipped with a stop-arm camera system. A photograph or video recorded by the stop-arm camera is now admissible as evidence in a proceeding for a violation of the Michigan Vehicle Code.

Under the code, the operator of a vehicle that in approaching a school bus that has stopped and is displaying its flashing red lights must stop his or her vehicle at least 20 feet from the bus and may not proceed until the school bus resumes motion or the flashing lights are turned off.

A driver who passes the school bus or fails to stop as required is responsible for a civil infraction. Cameras installed on the outside of the busses will make those drivers easier to identify and ticket.

In addition to the installation of cameras, safety is further enhanced on school busses by two amendments to the Pupil Transportation Act. The first amendment prohibits unauthorized individuals from entering a school bus without the driver’s permission. Authorized people include the following individuals:

  • Students;
  • A person enrolled in a school-sponsored preschool program;
  • A teacher or other school employee;
  • A chaperone of the students authorized by the school; and
  • A person authorized by a school or the operator of a school bus for the protection of property or the health, safety, and welfare of the people on the school bus.

Signage, in the form of a permanent sticker affixed to the side of the school bus, will read as follows: “An unauthorized person attempting to board or boarding this school bus is subject to citation for a civil infraction and may be ordered to pay a civil fine of no more than $500.”

Help is available

The municipal attorneys at O’Reilly Rancilio represent police departments and school districts throughout southeast Michigan. For more information about this new law, please call 586-726-1000 or visit our website at www.orlaw.com.

Categories: Municipal