DRIVERS that pass a school bus illegally have been warned that they could be hit with a hefty fine.
A new driving law in Florida means that school districts can put cameras on the iconic yellow vehicles.
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The technology would take a picture of cars that illegally pass the bus and drivers risk being slapped with a $225 fine.
Officials have confirmed that $200 of the penalty heads to the school district where the offense occurred.
The other $25 will support trauma centers, per the Miami Herald.
But, if cops catch drivers illegally passing a school bus then the penalty is a $265 fine, according to the new law.
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Not all school districts in Florida have put cameras on their buses.
Officials in Miami-Dade County were reportedly waiting for more funding information, as reported by The Herald.
School district officials have warned about the safety risks of passing a bus illegally.
“You wouldn't believe the number of people who are in a rush in the morning to get to work and they bypass the stop sign and it creates a really big safety risk for us," Michael Maine, the Martin County School District Superintendent, told the CW affiliate WTVX.
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The camera takes a picture of the driver’s license plate and that image is sent to law enforcement for a ticket to be processed.
Cops have warned that the law could be difficult to enforce in court as the cameras may take grainy images of the driver at fault.
State lawmakers believe the crackdown could help save lives.
The measure was signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis in the spring.
Debbie Mayfield, a GOP state senator, said: “In my community, we had a child hit.
“And that happened was [something] that should never have happened, and that is, the car went around the school bus and went through it and the child was crossing in front of the school bus to go to the other side.”
Mayfield continued: “If this [bill] just saves one life, it is worth doing.”
The U.S. Sun reported how cops in Sarasota, Florida are cracking down on drivers that speed in school zones.
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Drivers at least 30 mph over the speed limit will be hit with a court appearance and a sizeable penalty.
Florida transport agents are also cracking down on undocumented drivers that hold out-of-state licenses.
