POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Margie Patterson has had many drivers illegally blow past her school bus in her nearly 40 years of being bus driver with Polk County Public Schools.
“There are a lot, I mean a lot who do not stop,” Patterson said. “I don’t think you can describe the feeling that you get not being able to make people stop.”
Patterson said just last week her students were nearly hit by a vehicle while getting off the bus.
“I had two children on North Combee Road that were crossing, and they just came right on through around the stop arms and I had to blow my horn,” she said.
Polk County has issued 6,886 citations to drivers in the first half of the school year, who were caught on camera failing to stop, when a school bus stop arm is out. That’s about 80 a day.
“That is unbelievable. They're putting our children at risk and there is going to be a civil fine if they do that,” said Sheriff Grady Judd.
The district has partnered with Verra Mobility to equip all of its school buses with stop arm cameras. When the stop arm is deployed, a camera will record the vehicle illegally passing the school bus. The video is then sent to Verra for processing. Verra has reported 17,757 incidents to Polk County Sheriff's Office.
Video of the violation is reviewed by a deputy for verification before a $225 citation is mailed out. There is also an appeal process if a driver believes they are wrongly ticketed.
“Cameras can be wrong or give an inappropriate angle. We always encourage you, if you just disagree with it to appeal it,” said Judd.
Patterson believes the cameras are making a slight change in driver’s behavior.
“I can see a difference, not a big difference but I can see a difference,” said Patterson.
In less than two months, more than 100 people have contacted the ABC Action News I-Team, saying they are stuck waiting on unemployment benefits and are growing more desperate by the day.
