Drivers illegally pass stopped school buses more often than you think, according to Riverhead Police Chief David Hegermiller. He said cameras installed on school buses caught about 250 vehicles in the past month disobeying the law.
They weren’t penalized under the new stop-arm camera law because of a warning period. But the warning period ends May 1. Violations on and after that date will subject the owner of the vehicle to a $250 penalty for a first violation, a penalty of $275 for a second violation within 18 months and a penalty of $300 for the third and any subsequent violations committed within an 18-month period.
The law requires vehicles in both directions — including on a divided highway — to stop for a school bus that has its red lights flashing and stop-arm extended.
Cameras installed on school bus stop-arms will take photos of vehicles that pass school buses in either direction when the school bus’s stop-arm is extended. Notices of violation are generated by Suffolk County and sent to the owners of the vehicles in question.
Violations that occur within the Town of Riverhead are returnable to Riverhead Justice Court. Violations that occur within the jurisdiction of the Suffolk County Police District are adjudicated by the county’s traffic and parking violations agency.
Suffolk County in November 2019 adopted legislation implementing a school bus stop-arm camera program, as authorized by a state law adopted earlier that year. School districts in Suffolk had the option of participating in the program. The Riverhead Central School District last year agreed to participate. The costs of installing, operating and maintaining the cameras is borne by the county.
The school district will not receive any portion of the penalties collected as a result of violations of the law. The town will receive 10% of the penalty revenues for violations that occur in the Town of Riverhead. The county will receive 90% of the revenues generated by penalties and must pay 45% of its share to the contractor that provides and maintains the cameras and technology needed to operate the system. The contractor will reimburse the town for its administrative costs and adjudication-related expenses.
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