Police across north Fulton County have a warning for drivers. If you pass a stopped school bus picking up or letting off kids, you will face fines.
Fulton County School District plans to crack down on drivers passing buses by putting cameras on some buses.
The camera activates when the bus stop arms swings out and captures the license plate number of all passing vehicles.
School officials told Channel 2 Action News that police departments have issued 52 warning citations to drivers in the program's first month.
The cameras mounted on the side of dozens of buses captured videos of cars blowing by the bus stop arm.
“That's so dangerous for these kids," Rebecca Cook, a mother living in North Fulton, told Channel 2 Action News.
Roswell police says the images speak for themselves.
"You have a very clear image of the license plate," Roswell Police Officer Lisa Holland said. "You have a clear image of the vehicle. You have a clear image of the violation occurring."
Holland said the grace period is over and violators will now face fines.
"There was such a large amount of people knowing that there were cameras on these buses that people are still passing the school bus," Holland said. "We would rather save a child's life than write a ticket."
Tickets for the violations aren't cheap. The first offense will cost $300, a second offense $750 and a third violation in five years will cost $1,000.
"I think it's a wonderful thing they're cracking down," Cook said. "[My daughter’s] going be going to school in two or three years and those things are for our safety, for our kids safety."
