Montgomery Co. police issue 269 citations for drivers passing stopped school buses

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (7News) — Montgomery County police issued 269 citations to drivers who illegally passed stopped school buses during the first week of the school year, prompting officials to warn motorists about the dangers of ignoring bus stop signals.

The enforcement effort comes amid renewed attention to school bus safety following a viral video from Washington County, Kentucky, showing a child narrowly avoiding being struck by a vehicle that failed to stop for a school bus displaying flashing lights and an extended stop arm.

Montgomery County police said similar violations occur locally every day.

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Video released by the department from Rockville Pike shows multiple vehicles driving past a stopped school bus as students were loading and unloading.

“I think it’s unacceptable,” Captain David Reed, head of traffic operations for the Montgomery County Police Department, said in an interview.

Police said the 269 citations issued last week represent only a fraction of the violations occurring throughout the county. During the previous school year, school bus cameras recorded enough violations to generate 40,854 citations, according to department data.

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Reed said officers frequently hear drivers cite being late for work or in a hurry as reasons for illegally passing stopped buses.

“We’ll pull someone over and they’ll say, ‘I was in a hurry, I was late for work,'” Reed said. “You may have been running late for work, but killing a child is not only going to destroy your life, but destroy the family’s life. It’s simply not worth it.”

Under Maryland law, drivers caught by school bus cameras face a $250 fine. Motorists stopped by a police officer can receive a $570 citation and three points on their driving record.

“There’s no excuse for driving past a school bus with these little kids just trying to get to school safely,” Reed said.