Published: August 28, 2008 11:55 am         

Caught on camera

DANVILLE — Smile, folks: If you break the school bus safety laws in Danville you could be on video camera.

First Student bus service has implemented a video camera system on its buses for this school year, working with city police to take a stand against reckless drivers who ignore bus stop arms.

“I hope this gets the message out before a child gets hit and killed,” said Ami Sprague, safety coordinator for First Student.

And the threat is definitely there. As of Tuesday, 10 violations had been reported to police in just the first days of school.

The numbers are already on trend to pass the 40 cases bus drivers turned over to police during the spring school semester. Officer Tim Kentner coordinated the effort in which police conducted follow-up investigations based on car and motorist descriptions as well as license plate numbers reported by bus drivers.

Four tickets have come as a result of the 10 violation reports this semester, Kentner said.

“Drivers do the best they can,” he said, adding that sometimes an incorrect number for a license plate can derail a follow-up. “It’s difficult to have the child coming off and looking to the left and check that out to.”

With the new system, the video cameras switch on as soon as the stop arm for the bus is extended. The camera catches the vehicle’s license plate as it passes the bus.

Sprague said First Student drivers are trained to watch their mirrors, looking for a vehicle that may pass the bus before giving students the OK to cross the street.

In cases where a vehicle goes through the bus stop sign, First Student drivers immediately radio in the violation and information about the vehicle, its license plate and its driver. A report is later filed with Kentner.

Later, First Student downloads the video and burns the violation onto a DVD. Sprague said that is kept in a safe pending any court matters.

And students can run into some close calls when it comes to drivers. Kentner described one instance where a child — just stepping off the curb — had to step back quickly to avoid a driver.

The four tickets issued so far have all come in front of Danville High School, he said.

“DHS is one of the worst and that’s because how the street’s designed,” he said.

Oftentimes drivers will adamantly deny that they passed the school bus.

Now we have video to back up witnesses statements from drivers,” Sprague said.

Drivers who are convicted of a stop arm violation face a stiff penalty. A first offender will receive a fine of $150 while a second offense earns the motorists a $500 fine.

Drivers also face a three-month suspension of their license.

Laws became stiffer for violators as of this year. Kentner said a vehicle owner who won’t reveal who was driving the vehicle at the time of the violation can receive a three-month license suspension as well.