TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Many Hillsborough County drivers are learning the hard way that it is illegal to pass a stopped school bus with its lights flashing.
The county has installed camera systems on its buses to capture video of violators.
The county had a grace period and handed out 10,000 warning tickets, but the grace period is over. The county has now handed out more than 13,000 violations since the middle of September.
“Everyone is doing it all over the county, but the only trend we’re seeing is, the most violations are issued around the 4:00 to 5:00 time frame, which is when our middle school kids are getting off buses,” said Lara Hill, the General Manager of Transportation for the school system.
Tampa school turning to the community to help after Milton
Each ticket costs drivers $225 and is only issued after it it reviewed by the vendor that manages the bus cameras and then by a Hillsborough County deputy.
“I can’t imagine why anybody would pass a school bus with the stop arm out,” Hill said.