In the near future, drivers who illegally pass a school bus may be recorded and fined.

Last month, New York state lawmakers reached a deal on legislation (Bill S4658) that would allow municipalities and school districts to place cameras on school buses to catch these reckless drivers. The cameras would be attached to the swinging stop sign, which is currently used to indicate drivers should be stopping to allow children to safely exit the bus. The cameras would activate if a driver illegally passes the bus, sending an image of the driver’s license plate to local authorities.

The new bill will be part of Governor Cuomo’s 2020 executive budget, and reflects an “opt-in” program whereby schools can choose if they would like to be a part of this initiative. Schools would not have to bear the costs for the technology; as the bill allows the money collected in fines to offset the costs of the cameras mounted to the buses.

Studies have shown that more than 50,000 drivers in New York state illegally pass stopped buses each day. This new legislation allows municipalities and school districts to tackle this pervasive and dangerous problem with minimal costs to them. The Governor expressed his support for the issue, indicating he looked forward to seeing it passed and signing it into law.