Yonkers police cracking down on drivers who illegally pass school buses
YONKERS, New York (WABC) -- The city of Yonkers is cracking down on drivers who illegally pass school buses that have their safety arms extended.
When a school bus stops, has red lights flashing and a stop-arm extended, traffic approaching from either direction is supposed to stop before reaching the bus.
Safety cameras have been installed on the buses to catch drivers in the act.
They cameras not only record the offense, but also captures the license plate of the vehicle so a summons can be mailed to the registered owner.
A fine by mail is $250 for the first offense, $275 for a second and $300 for a third when a driver is caught on camera.
If an officer cites a driver, the fine is $250 to $400 fine for the first conviction with the possibility of 30 days in jail. Drivers will also get five points on their license.
Yonkers kicked off the program last October, making it the biggest city in the state to implement the technology so far.
After a monthlong warning period for drivers, police have issued nearly 5,000 summonses so far.
Yonkers Police Commissioner Christopher Sapienza said some residents have been surprised to receive summonses for failing to stop in the opposite direction of traffic on wide, divided thoroughfares like Central Avenue.
Sapeinza is reminding drivers that it's the law to stop in both directions.
The cameras have been installed on 80% of the city's school buses. The entire fleet should be equipped by the end of February.
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