School Bus stop arm cams

When someone blows the reds, the trooper grabs their plate number and a few days later, the person either gets a citation in the mail or they receive a knock on their front door and when they answer it, they are confronted with a stern looking trooper handing them a citation.

About 35 years ago, my brother-in-law approached a school bus from the rear that was stopped to pick up children on a secondary road. He waited and waited, got impatient when he didn't see any children, then drove around the bus and its flashing lights. He didn't get very far, unknown to him, the bus driver had a CB radio and called it in. He was stopped and they hauled him off to jail. I don't remember his fine, but he never did that again!

Many years ago I drove school bus for a couple of years. We had radios in the busses and if someone went around me when I had the red lights on I called it in. People are idiots.

It seems that after an extended period of time with no children present, these actions might be considered.

* Do not drive around the bus.
* Flash your lights
* Honk you horn.

Time the delay, then take down the license or bus number and report the incident to the school or bus company.

Bus drivers also have a responsibility, as well, and should not sit there and text or whatever they are doing that is not necessary for their job.

Used to often get stuck at red lights with the motorcycle. I'd wait 2 min, if it didn't turn green and it was safe to go (no traffic), i'd go on red. I think I got pulled over once. Explained the situation to the offer who was understanding and let me go and running my info.

Was that a problem with the inductive sensor loop type of traffic light control? Your bike was not enough metal for it to sense?

A lot of states now have a law that motorcycles can proceed through a red that doesn't change after a reasonable amount of time.

Used to be a huge problem with the induction loops light sensors. A lot of motorcycles didn't have enough metal to 'break' the loop. I mounted a strong magnet on the underside of my bike and never had the problem again as long as I lined the bike up directly over top of the cuts in the road for the loop.

Are you referring to a red traffic light or what the original thread was referring to, the red lights on a school bus?

What I wrote would make zero sense for school bus lights, I commented on the comment I quoted about traffic signals.

That's a clever idea. I'll have to do that at some point. My little Honda never triggered the lights even when I sat on the cut.

As much I think a lot of traffic citations are a money grabs this isn't one of them. It's way to dangerous to blow past a bus. Particularity with some of the stop being on fairly major fast moving roads.

Sadly I no longer ride, no longer have this issue.

I don't recall getting stuck behind too many school buses. Not idea riding time.

The magnet trick is a good idea.

I do agree, with respect to school buses, don't hold up traffic any longer than necessary to load/unload the offspring.

In Ontario, we've had cameras on for quite awhile. Last year, thay added a set of amber lights, that activate just a bit before the red flashing lights. This is an excellent safety enhancement, that forewarns drivers that the bus is about to stop.

Canada a bit behind? In the US I can't recall school buses not having those amber lights. Chatpsa says this was mandated in the late 70's.

For canada, ontario didn't implement this until 2022. You guys have some real progress up there!

It's already an issue imho. Example, as we approach a red light intersection, we know that the yellow will be illuminated for about 1 sec per 10 mph of speed limit.

I have said since the advent of red light cameras, 6 yo kids can stay on side, that is the puck must enter the o zone first. If a 6 yo can do it, then there is no excuse for someone who possesses a drivers license to claim they can't get through a rlc without getting a ticket and it's a money grab. I think that money grab argument is dead, I don't see that reasoning used anymore in 2026. If it is, then, life sure is unfair in a big way, because certain cities are blanketed with speed, noise, and red light cams--it HAS COMPLETELY CHANGED DRIVER BEHAVIOR. Just like AI says a person shoplifted and a store gets an alert. Nobody today in 2026 has to review any video, the system has already alerted security without a single human having seen it.

The problem with school buses is the duration of the yellow varies. A human decides. So say you've been behind a school bus for 45 secs with yellows, do you pull out and pass? If you do, what if the reds suddenly illuminate? You're busted. This has happened to me twice, no cam. But today, with cams? I guess I will not pass period--that bus should have flashers not yellows for an extended wait. Some drivers have courtesy and they wave cars past.

If Canada never had yellows that's surprising, and something I never noticed. Just like I've never noticed if hockey referees wear gloves or not (at the youth level I'm told yes it's possible, but I have literally never noticed. From pics I see they do not).

Anyway how this conversation started was someone was upset with me stopping for the school bus reds--he thought we both could have simply beat them. Ticket stop arm cam system or not, I'm stopping, apparently he, wouldn't, but might, with a cam. I just truly believe nobody is gonna just willy nilly say I'll add $300 to my commute this morning. That could be a half day's pay or even a full day's pay.

These school bus cameras are a good idea as long as the video they take is interpreted correctly.

Last year, my aunt got a ticket because someone rear ended her while she was stopped waiting for a school bus. Before she could hit the brakes, the impact caused her vehicle to roll forward alongside the bus. The camera picked it up and she received a ticket in the mail.

The bus driver didn't see the accident and there was No way to fight it in court, so she had to pay the steep fine.

Would be where the actual stop line is, I don't know.

Is it the actual arm and sign?

Based on going to yellow then red, whenever the driver activates such, it matters. Following the speed limit, it's possible to reach such an imaginary line, unlike with a red light cam.

I would have to say a vehicle being rear ended into a violation is pretty rare, and that removing AI and using human beings, such a violation should be waved. If the impact was so severe that the vehicle went 20 mph past the bus, well, the violation is insult to injury, but, likely becomes a secondary concern and just getting out of the scenario uninjured would be primary, imho....interjecting common sense, a vehicle was stopped, then suddenly proceeded along with a second vehicle with vehicles making contact, that should stand out.

From the Colorado "Driver Handbook":
" School bus: You must stop your vehicle at least 20 feet
before reaching a school bus that is stopped with its red lights
flashing, and you must stop until the lights stop flashing. You
must stop whether it is on your side of the road, the opposite
side of the road or at an intersection you are approaching.
You must remain stopped until the flashing red lights are no
longer flashing. Carefully watch for children near the school
bus and children crossing the roadway before proceeding.
You are not required to stop if there is a median or other
physical barrier separating the bus from your vehicle. "

@johnnatash4

Fair point about the yellow duration. Some standards need to be established. Duration will vary based on the speed limit of the highway bus is on. On a road with say speed limit of 100km/h (60 mph). Yellow should be considerably longer than that of a residential street.

These standards are for engineers to decide.

Of course, it would be stupid to have a school bus stop on such a road, but such is the case in the rural areas.