District releases PSA on stop-arm violation awareness

Cobb County School District in Marietta, Ga., partnered with the Cobb County Police Department and American Traffic Solutions (ATS) to create a public service announcement (PSA) to help educate the community about the district’s efforts to combat stop-arm violations.

Earlier this year, the district board voted to sign an agreement with ATS to issue citations to motorists who illegally pass stopped school buses.

The company, which with AngelTrax offers the CrossingGuard School Bus Stop Arm Enforcement System, would keep 75% of the proceeds, and the rest would go to the school district.

The system is now outfitted on the district’s buses. The PSA explains how the CrossingGuard system works, and it also highlights the role of law enforcement, the penalties issued for violations and the importance of school bus safety.

"With more than 1,000 Cobb County school buses on the road every day, student safety is our biggest concern,” said Rick Grisham, executive director of transportation. “Unfortunately, stop-arm violations are far too common. We want the public to be aware that when a school bus stop arm is out, all traffic must stop. That's the law. Thanks to these new cameras, there will be consequences for those who break the law and jeopardize the safety of our students."

Featured in the video is James Arrowood, director of public safety at Cobb County School District, who says, “These cameras will allow us to be more proactive in our enforcement of the stop-arm violations, and hopefully we will get the message out to the public that serious consequences can occur when you run the stop arm.”

The CrossingGuard system mounts purpose-built cameras on the side of the school bus, which automatically detect a vehicle illegally passing the stop arm. They also capture video of the violation, including the vehicle’s license plate.

In the PSA, viewers learn how law enforcement reviews the violation video and license plate images for approval prior to a citation being issued. The penalties for stop-arm violations in Georgia range from $300 to $1,000.

To view the PSA, go here.

Other news on ATS:

• American Traffic Solutions wins contract with co-op

• District deploys camera system to catch stop-arm runners