Should Schools In Our Area Add Cameras To Their Buses Too?

Recently I was riding into work, and I saw a school bus up the road a bit. The flashing lights came on, and the car that was right behind the bus literally sped up and went around it. I was downright shocked. I can't think of many things scarier than that. If I hit a child getting off a bus, I may not ever be able to live with myself.

According to an article I caught yesterday in the Portland Press Herald, some schools in Maine are starting to take things a step further. Some schools have begun adding special arms that stick out 6 feet from the side of the bus to make the stop sign more visible. But could more be done?

The town of Yarmouth, for instance, decided to take it even further. Thanks to a new law passed in June, towns can affix a camera to the side of the bus, that photographs the license plate of a person speeding past a bus. The info can only be shared with law enforcement, and it must be deleted after 30 days if nothing is done with the footage.

But that evidence can be used to issue a person a steep $250 ticket. If they get busted a second time, it's a 30-day suspension. In just the first 8 days of the year, Yarmouth snapped photos of 3 violators. That's just crazy!

Should schools be adopting a similar program here? Why not? Children's safety should be our number one concern. Besides, how many times have you seen someone blow past a bus, and wish that there had been a cop there to see it? At least now people could be held accountable for their actions.

We'll see how long it takes, or if it even happens up this way. But I guarantee we've probably had as many incidents of people passing buses as they've had. The difference is, if someone gets hurt up here, that's our kids, not some other town's. Consider that, Bangor.