Merrimack's New Cameras Catch Drivers Not Stopping For School Bus

MERRIMACK, NH — Looking to increase children's safety, Student Transportation of America has installed cameras on the front of several school buses in the Merrimack School District. The goal is to catch drivers who illegally pass the school bus while students are being picked up or dropped off. Merrimack police are also conducting special patrols targeting drivers who ignore the school bus stop sign.

The cameras are installed on the stop arm that goes down in front of the school bus when students are getting on or off the bus. About a half dozen buses are equipped so far, and the ultimate goal is to equip all school buses in Merrimack over the next year, said Gregg Stinson, regional vice president of operations at Student Transportation of America. The bus company operates about 39 buses in the Merrimack School District, and all of them already have cameras on the inside. With the stop arm cameras, the company will be able to capture license plates of vehicles illegally passing the bus and then report that information to police.

"There's always a child near a school bus," Michelle Bancroft, Merrimack's operations manager for Student Transportation of America. "At the end of the day, nobody wants to be responsible for hitting a child. Nobody thinks when they're doing this that they're going to hit a child, they think they're just going to pass a bus and be done."

Merrimack police are also conducting special patrols to target drivers illegally passing school buses. Last week, police used an unmarked cruiser to follow school buses for three hours, and the patrol resulted in one driver getting a warning, said Police Capt. Matthew Tarleton. He said another such patrol was conducted Wednesday morning, resulting in one warning and one citation. The patrols will continue through the end of the school year.

Tarleton said that although he is not aware of recent accidents involving students being hit by a car while getting on or off the bus, there has been at least one recent close call. During this school year, one driver ignored the school's stop sign and passed the school bus on the right side, where the bus door is located — at the same time, a student was just about to get off the bus, he said. That driver has not been identified at this time.

The new stop arm cameras were discussed during the Merrimack School Board meeting on Monday. School Board member Andy Schneider said he agrees that every school bus in Merrimack should be equipped with the cameras. He stated that years ago, his own child was almost hit by a car while getting off the bus, when a driver illegally passed a school bus.

At this time, the buses equipped with stop arm cameras are the ones that travel to heavily offending areas, including Daniel Webster Highway, Society Hill, Webster Green, and Priscilla Lane in the area of Walgreens, said Bancroft. Daniel Webster Highway is especially problematic, because there are four lanes of traffic and some drivers may not realize they need to stop, she said. The bus company's next step is to equip buses going to Turkey Hill Road, Wire Road and Bedford Road, said Bancroft.

At this time, Merrimack police are working with Student Transportation of America to finalize the procedure for reporting the offending drivers, said Tarleton. He said every violation will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Depending on the situation, some drivers may receive a summons, while others may receive a warning. In a case where a driver passes the bus on the right and almost hits a student, it may be a reckless driving charge, he said.

Illegally passing a school bus is a violation-level offense, which can result in a $150 ticket on first offense. Tickets for subsequent offenses are $250 to $1,000. In addition, after the second offense the state may suspend the driver's license for 30 days, said Tarleton.

At the beginning of next school year, police and Student Transportation of America are planning to conduct a public information campaign informing drivers about the law and reminding them that school buses will be on the road, said Tarleton.

"If someone's going to blow by a bus and not care, unfortunately we don't have control over that, but we want to get the word out there," said Tarleton. "It's been an issue for years. That's an unfortunate thing that takes place every year."