CUMBERLAND, R.I. (WPRI) — With the school year quickly approaching it’s important to remember to look out for kids getting on and off school buses.
The Cumberland School Committee is set to meet Thursday night to discuss the possibility of installing cameras on school buses.
The cameras would be placed on the outside of the bus with the goal of catching drivers who pass a bus while their stop sign is out.
Police Chief Matthew Benson said the cameras would start recording as soon as the stop sign is engaged and would help his department enforce the law more easily.
In the past, Benson said the only way officers have been able to issue citations is if they saw the infraction firsthand. He said these cameras would help hold people accountable.
The penalty for someone driving through a school bus stop sign in Cumberland includes a fine between $250 and $500 and a revoked license for up to 30 days.
“It’s a pretty hefty fine but it’s a pretty significant issue and so one mistake and you could have the loss of life of a child,” Benson said.
Benson adds the program isn’t expected to cost taxpayers anything as the fines from the cameras would be used to pay the vendor.
If the school committee approves the contract during Thursday’s meeting, Benson plans to have the cameras ready in the next dew months.
