Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Cameras have now been installed on the arms of Buffalo's school buses. The cameras are intended to detect drivers illegally passing school buses stopped with lights flashing.
An awareness period will take place from July 1 through Sept. 30. During this period, divers will be warned if they commit a violation and not be issued a ticket.
Justin Meyers of BusPatrol says it's the longest such warning period in New York.
"The way that the program is rolled out is that there is an optional warning period for the municipality to choose to elect to opt into," said Meyers in an interview with WBEN.
Meyers says the buses are equipped with high definition 4k cameras that have an AI system that can distinguish between parked and moving cars.
"Essentially, what it does is cut to 32nd Evidence package of all of those different camera angles to show that the violation occurred and uploads it to the cloud," Meyers explained.
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However, that camera does not have the final say.
"Humans review it. Municipal employees independently review the violation and determine whether or not a ticket should be issued," Meyers said.
If you do get such a ticket, like any other moving violation, you can challenge it.
"There'll be a coupon that you can cut out, fill in your information, mail it in and request a court date. Then you would receive a court hearing at the City of Buffalo's traffic parking and traffic parking violations bureau," Meyers said.
Meyers is confident the program will reduce such violations.
"We are fortunate enough to partner with over 450 school districts across America, and we know that in our largest programs that driver behavior is curbed by as much as 40% in the first couple of years of this program operating so the data shows nationwide that when you input when a community implements a program like this, drivers do pay attention they do recognize and the roads slowly but surely do become safer." he said.
Meyers adds that not issuing tickets is the main goal.
During the summer months, several hundred buses will be out taking kids to summer school or camp. Much more will be out when the school year starts in September.