Sac City Unified pilot program cameras catch drivers illegally passing school buses
SACRAMENTO — Shocking video shows hundreds of drivers speeding right past stopped school buses across Sacramento this fall.
The Sacramento City Unified School District said nearly 500 drivers have been caught illegally passing buses, roughly 15 violations a day, as part of a back-to-school pilot program.
Part of the video shows a van nearly hitting a child who was crossing the street.
The district said the reason behind the program is to pass stronger laws that would keep children safe.
The technology behind this program is Bus Patrol. Five buses with specialized cameras captured more than 130 illegal passings during the first week of the school year.
That's one of the highest violation rates in the nation, according to Bus Patrol's CEO.
In California, images captured using automated enforcement technology aren't allowed to be used as evidence to help find and cite drivers who illegally pass a stopped school bus.
The pilot program in Sacramento is part of a larger push with districts across California, including one in Visalia and another in Poway down in San Diego County.