Drivers Passing Stopped School Buses in Maryland Up Roughly 50 Percent

More drivers are ignoring state laws on what to do when approaching a stopped school bus in surprising numbers, according to a new survey released by the Maryland State Department of Education.

Buses use a "stop" arm and flashing lights to alarm motorists around them that they are dropping off or picking up students at a bus stop. But the state report indicates the number of drivers passing these stopped buses has increased by roughly 50 percent in the last year.

A total of 4,326 violations of school bus stop arms were recorded on a single day last spring, state officials said in a statement this week.

"Although this is well below the 7,011 recorded when the survey began in 2011, the number represents a significant jump over the 2,795 recorded in 2015."

State officials said the survey was conducted in cooperation with school transportation directors from all 24 districts across the state, and that 76 percent of all Maryland school bus drivers took part, recording the number of incidents they witnessed of cars illegally passing their buses on the day of the survey.

Larger districts saw the most increases, with Baltimore County logging the highest total of 1,002 incidents on a single day. Montgomery County came in at a close second, with 999 incidents.

Prince George’s, Anne Arundel, Howard and Harford counties all saw increases in their totals. The City of Baltimore, though, saw its number of violations nearly cut in half, from 224 in 2015 to 128 in 2016.

Four smaller counties--Caroline, Dorchester, Somerset, and Talbot–did not witness any violations, while Garrett and Queen Anne’s counties reported one each, and Kent County tallied two.

State officials said they are very concerned about the 2016 spike in dangerous incidents.

"Violations had been on a steady decline since the survey was launched, making the 2016 increase particularly concerning," officials said in the statement.

State Superintendent of Schools Karen B. Salmon issued her own comment on the survey findings.

"Maryland schools have re-opened for the new year, and all drivers must re-focus on the safety of our children. It is illegal to pass a bus with its stop-arm extended and its lights flashing," she said.

“It is clear that we have more to do as we all work to keep students out of harm’s way.”

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan also expressed his concern, and just last month released more than $500,000 to local law enforcement agencies for enforcing Maryland school bus safety laws. The grants can be used for overtime pay for police officers who patrol streets when school buses are on the road, and for public education programs reminding drivers to stop when a bus is picking up or dropping off children.

Police and state officials are also reminding drivers of the consequences of illegally passing a school bus, such as fines and points on one's driver's license.

If caught and pulled over by a police officer, the penalty can be as much as $570 and three points on one's driver's license. If caught by a school-bus security camera, a ticket can be sent in the mail and include a fine of anywhere from $125 to $570.