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Fairfax County will begin using cameras to catch drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses, launching a long-delayed safety program with warnings on April 9 and $250 citations starting May 12.
The county government and Fairfax County Public Schools will initially install stop-arm camera systems on 50 buses. During the first 30 days, motorists recorded passing an equipped bus while students are boarding or exiting will receive warnings instead of fines.
After the warning period, confirmed violations will result in $250 citations mailed to the vehicle’s registered owner.
Fairfax County School Board Chair Karl Frisch said the initiative is intended to remind motorists of their responsibility to obey the law around children and school buses.
The rollout comes more than a decade after county and school officials began considering the technology. At the request of then-Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust, staff started working on a potential program in October 2013, several years after Virginia authorized localities to install video-monitoring systems on school buses.
Legal questions requiring additional state legislation contributed to delays. Vendor contract negotiations later stalled at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In February 2023, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors pressed FCPS for an explanation of the slow progress. That summer, supervisors approved an agreement allowing the Fairfax County Police Department to participate in the school-funded program.
Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said its purpose is to improve safety rather than raise revenue. A 2017 white paper prepared by a School Safety and Security Council found that FCPS bus drivers collectively reported 1,453 passing violations in a single day.
“The goal is to change driver behavior and prevent the dangerous act of passing a stopped school bus with its red lights flashing while children are loading or unloading,” McKay said.
Virginia law requires motorists to stop when a clearly marked school bus is loading or unloading children. Drivers must remain stopped until the students have cleared the road or driveway and the bus begins moving again.
The camera systems, supplied by Arizona-based software company Verra Mobility, activate when a bus extends its stop sign and turns on its flashing lights. When a vehicle passes through the designated enforcement zone, cameras automatically capture video and images, including the license plate.
Fairfax County police will review the recordings and decide whether a confirmed violation warrants a warning or citation. Fines may be paid online, over the phone or by mail.
The first 50 equipped buses make up a small portion of the FCPS fleet of more than 1,600 vehicles. The school system and police department will evaluate the technology and administrative process before deciding whether to expand the program.
Arlington and Falls Church have operated similar school bus camera programs for years.
Fairfax County is also expanding its speed camera network as part of its student-safety efforts, particularly following crashes that killed Oakton High School students and a Justice High School student in 2022.
That program began as a pilot in February 2023 and currently has nine active locations. The county announced last August that cameras would be added at 10 more sites by the end of 2024, though the program website continues to list those installations as in progress.