Tens of Thousands of AI-Equipped School Buses Now Automatically Ticketing Drivers Who Don’t Stop When They Stick Out That Little Stop Sign

In recent years, a growing number of school buses across the United States have been equipped with advanced AI-powered cameras, designed to automatically ticket drivers who fail to stop when the school bus extends its safety stop sign. These cameras, developed by companies such as BusPatrol, AngelTrax, and Verra Mobility, are now installed on approximately 35,000 buses in 24 states.

When the cameras detect a driver violating the stop sign, they transmit the information to a human reviewer, who compiles an evidence package for further review before issuing a ticket to the offending driver. Katherine Tolar, the vice president of operations at AngelTrax, claims that 98 percent of violators receive a citation and refrain from committing the same offense again, indicating the cameras' effectiveness in changing driver behavior.

Verra Mobility also reported that 98 percent of drivers who receive citations do not commit another violation, and that citation rates decrease by 70 percent throughout a school year. However, critics question the effectiveness of these cameras as a deterrent, citing Montgomery County, Maryland as an example where 375,000 tickets and $92 million in fines were issued, yet no decline in collisions near stopped school buses was observed.

Additionally, BusPatrol has received about $40 million in collected fines since its inception, while the county only retained $18.5 million. Despite these concerns, AI surveillance systems have become an increasingly common feature on our roads, with no evidence of rogue police officers bypassing these cameras to intimidate drivers.