Viral video renews call for stop-arm cameras

ALBANY, N.Y. — After a video from inside a school bus in Washington state showing an SUV speeding past and nearly hitting children went viral, New York school districts and bus drivers again called for stop-arm cameras, CBS 6 reports.

Local school districts and bus drivers told the news outlet they deal with similar near-misses daily, and in the last four years, 35 children have been hit in the state after a motorist illegally passed the school bus they were trying to board or exit.

The New York Association for Pupil Transportation has called for stop-arm cameras, but the state legislature has not yet passed a bill that would allow law enforcement to find and ticket drivers whose license plates are recorded on the cameras, according to the news source.

Peter Mannella, the association’s executive director, told CBS 6 that local bus drivers say they are often unable to get enough information about stop arm-running incidents to give to police. He added that he has faced resistance from lawmakers who are opposed to traffic cameras.

To read the full story, go here.

Watch the CBS 6 news story with Mannella’s interview below.