by Viktoria Sundqvist The New Haven independent
Two Connecticut towns went live with their school bus stop-arm camera systems this week, joining several other districts who have already fined hundreds of drivers for breaking the law by passing a stopped school bus.
North Haven and Stratford officials warned residents that brief warning periods following the installation of the cameras have ended and drivers who are photographed passing a school bus will now automatically be fined $250. Both have contracted with a company called BusPatrol for the equipment.
“It is illegal – and dangerous – to pass a stopped school bus when its red flashing lights are activated and the stop sign and stop arm are extended,” North Haven police said in a social media post. “We encourage all motorists to slow down, stay alert, and stop when required.”
Nearly 300 warnings have been sent out during the initial test period in North Haven, police said.
In Connecticut, drivers on one or multi-lane roads must stop at least 10 feet from the front or rear of a school bus displaying its flashing red signal lights and remain there until the bus no longer flashes the lights.
“The only time traffic approaching an oncoming school bus does not need to stop is if there is a safety island or physical barrier separating the roadways,” North Haven officials said.
The AI-powered stop-arm cameras will detect if a car passes the school bus and take a photo of the vehicle and its license plate. A law enforcement official then reviews those photos to confirm if a violation occurred. If police determined there was a violation, a fine will be sent in the mail to the registered owner of the vehicle.
In addition to keeping students safe, the main point of the cameras is to deter future illegal behavior, officials said.
“Data shows that over 90% of first-time violators do not illegally pass a school bus again, making roads safer for students,” North Haven officials said.
Stratford started its warning period March 10 and began issuing tickets to drivers on April 13.
“Ensuring the safety of our students is our number one priority,” said Stratford Mayor David Chess. “Nothing is more important.”
State law allows municipalities or local or regional boards of education to install the cameras or contract with a private vendor to do so. The cameras must be able to photograph a vehicle’s license plate but must not record the driver or occupants of the vehicle. Warning signs must also be posted on the bus that a camera is in use, according to the Office of Legislative Research.
Connecticut ran a pilot program in 2012 with selected school districts, including West Hartford and New Britain, and later expanded the program after seeing the results and thousands of violations.
Bridgeport, which was one of the first school districts to implement the cameras on its 248 school buses in 2024, issued more than 20,000 tickets in its first year of operation.
New Haven, which started enforcement on March 2 of this year, brought in more than $200,000 in fines from 847 drivers in just one week for passing some of its more than 300 school buses.
Danbury, which launched its cameras in August 2025, ticketed more than 3,000 drivers in the first two months.
Shelton, which also implemented cameras on its 68 buses in the fall of 2025, issued more than 800 tickets in two months.
Other towns and school districts like Derby, Newtown, and Vernon are all in various stages of implementing cameras on school buses.
In March, Derby was in the process of signing its contract with a vendor, according to the Valley Independent Sentinel. Newtown is hoping to have cameras live by August, according to CT Insider, and Vernon’s Town Council just approved its stop-arm camera program, according to Fox61.
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