BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2026 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — The School District of Palm Beach County and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with BusPatrol, have launched the Palm Beach County School Bus Passing Safety Program to curb reckless driving around stopped school buses and safeguard students traveling to and from school.
About 750 buses in the district’s fleet now carry stop-arm cameras, allowed under a 2023 Florida law authorizing school bus infraction detection systems. The cameras switch on automatically whenever a bus flashes its red stop signals, recording video and photos of any vehicle that doesn’t stop. A Sheriff’s Office deputy reviews every flagged event. If the deputy confirms a violation, a Notice of Violation goes in the mail to the vehicle’s registered owner.
Drivers get a grace period first. Starting Nov. 16, 2026, motorists caught illegally passing a stopped bus will receive an educational warning by mail, with no fine. Full enforcement begins Jan. 5, 2027, when confirmed violations carry a $225 civil penalty. Because it’s a civil penalty, no points go on the driver’s license.
The numbers behind the program are stark. The National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services estimates motorists illegally pass stopped school buses about 40 million times a year nationwide. A single-day survey in Florida recorded more than 8,000 illegal passes, and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data ranks Florida second in the nation for fatal school-bus-related crashes. Officials say these programs work: more than 90% of first-time violators never do it again.
Under Florida law, drivers must stop immediately when a school bus shows flashing red lights and/or its extended stop arm, and stay stopped until the signals turn off and the bus starts moving. On two-lane roads, traffic in both directions must stop. The same goes for multi-lane roads without a physical barrier or raised median — including roads with a center two-way turn lane.
Divided highways are the exception, but only partly. If the road is split by an unpaved median at least five feet wide or a raised physical barrier, oncoming traffic doesn’t have to stop, though drivers must slow down and watch for children. Painted pavement striping alone doesn’t count as a barrier. And vehicles traveling in the same direction as the bus must always stop.
Owners who get a notice can watch the video and see the photos at www.alertbus.com by entering their violation number (for example, AB-777777) and license plate number. Fines can be paid online by debit or credit card at the same site, or by calling the automated toll-free line at 1-877-504-7080; processing fees apply to both. Owners can also mail a check or money order, payable to Florida School Bus Infraction Detection Enforcement, using the tear-off slip at the bottom of the notice.
Anyone who wants to fight a notice will find step-by-step instructions on page two. That page also explains how to file an Affidavit Exemption for a Transfer of Liability if someone else was driving the vehicle.
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