Soon school buses will once again join your morning commute, but officials worry that some drivers still don't know the rules of the road when it comes to passing stopped buses.
A survey shows that in one day Maryland school bus drivers saw more than 3,300 cars pass their buses illegally. More than 1,000 of those drivers were in Montgomery County, which is home to Maryland's largest school system.
While The Washington Post said that number is down from previous years, it's still high enough to cause concern.
It is illegal for drivers to pass a school bus when its stop arm is extended and its lights are activated. A driver can only pass if they are on the opposite side of a divided highway.
Last year, in an effort to crack down on such offenses, Montgomery County Council passed a bill allowing the installation of cameras on buses. The cameras catch drivers who ignore the flashing stop signs on school buses that are picking up or dropping off students. So far, 300 cameras have been installed on school buses in the county.
Prince George's County recently decided to install cameras on its school buses as well.
The cameras and other educational campaigns are credited with helping to reduce the number of violators.
