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Howard County Reports Sharp Drop in Illegal Passes of Stopped School Buses

AI-enabled stop-arm cameras on school buses generate evidence for police citations that officials credit with changing driver behavior.

Overview

  • Howard County police issued nearly 8,300 citations in the 2024–25 school year from bus camera evidence, about 1,000 fewer than the prior year.
  • Officials say violations have fallen by roughly 50% since cameras were installed in 2021, with about 1,200 citations reported so far this school year.
  • BusPatrol equips buses with multi-camera systems and on-bus AI to detect potential stop-arm violations, which are reviewed by staff before police decide whether to cite.
  • The program operates in nine Maryland school districts and is funded by fines from violators, and BusPatrol reports about 90% of cited drivers do not reoffend.
  • Maryland and NTSB leaders are calling for wider adoption of the technology and urging states to consider seat belts on school buses.