The town announced Monday that it began a "warning phase" several months ago as vendor BusPatrol began installing cameras on town school buses that capture video and license plate information of vehicles that do not stop within 10 feet of a school bus displaying its flashing lights. That footage is then passed on to town authorities who determine whether there has been a violation.
"The fundamental aspect of government is to provide safety for our residents. There's no excuse for reckless driving in our streets and roads," North Haven First Selectman Mike Freda said. "The notion of young children getting off buses and cars driving through those stop signs is something we've had to address."
Freda said, as the town's executive, among the most common concerns he hears from residents by phone and email are those about speeding and compliance with the rules of the road.
In a statement, the town reported that it has sent nearly 300 warnings to drivers for illegally passing stopped school buses during its ongoing warning period. After April 13, those warnings will become fines.
In neighboring New Haven, city officials reported that 847 fines were issued in the first week of its school bus traffic enforcement program.
North Haven's embrace of school bus cameras is also not the town's first attempt to use automated traffic enforcement camera technology. The town recently voted to forward a plan to install automated speed cameras in school zones to the state's Department of Transportation for its approval. That program, which will establish fines for motorists traveling 11 miles per hour or higher above the posted speed limit in six town locations, is separate from the BusPatrol program, but uses similar technology. New Haven has received approval from the DOT to implement cameras in 15 areas across its city.
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