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DRIVERS could be slapped with up to $1,500 in fines due to a new red light camera program that is set to catch repeat offenders.
New cameras on traffic lights will be put in place to ensure drivers don’t run red lights in New York – and people who drive past a stopped school bus will face harsher penalties than before.
The red light camera program has decreased red-light running in New York City (stock image)[/caption]
The red light camera program is extended to multiple cities in New York (stock image)[/caption]
Governor Kathy Hochul signed 11 bills to protect people from speeding drivers on Wednesday.
“The safety of all New Yorkers is my top priority and we know that red light camera programs are effective in protecting New Yorkers from dangerous drivers,” Hochul said.
The technology means when a car runs a red light at an intersection, sensors in the road will trigger a camera, which will capture pictures of the car going through the intersection with a red light displayed.
The legislation is the largest expansion of the red light camera program in New York City’s history.
Plus, Hochul signed laws to protect kids on buses and other measures to keep students safe.
“Today I am extending the authorization of programs across New York and establishing an additional program to maintain our progress on traffic safety, while creating new protections for school aged children on the road.”
Currently, the red light camera fine is $50 per violation in New York City.
The new laws increase the penalties for drivers who pass stopped school buses.
The new rules will specifically target repeat offenders.
The fine for a third violation or higher within three years is being raised from $1,000 to $1,500.
Hochul said that the $1,000 fine is already a lot of money – but “apparently it’s not working, because people are still violating the law, putting kids’ lives in jeopardy, so let’s try raising the fine.”
Plus, all kids over the age of eight years old are now required to wear their seatbelts on charter buses.
Besides New York City, the new laws will extend the red light camera programs in White Plains, Albany, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, and Nassau County.
Plus, a completely new program will be implemented in Greenburgh.
Laws on Passing a School Bus
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA), it’s illegal in all 50 states to pass a school bus when it is stopped, the red strobe lights are flashing, and the stop sign is deployed.
“All States require the traffic in both directions to stop on undivided highways when students are getting on or off a school bus,” the agency’s website reads.
Florida launched a program in May 2024 that will cite drivers illegally passing stopped school buses with the help of AI-powered cameras to capture footage of violators, citing an important law.
In Florida, Chapter 316 Title 19 reads:
- Any person using, operating, or driving a vehicle on or over the roads or highways of this state shall, upon approaching any school bus which displays a stop signal, bring such vehicle to a full stop while the bus is stopped, and the vehicle shall not pass the school bus until the signal has been withdrawn. A person who violates this section commits a moving violation, punishable as provided in chapter 318.
- Any person using, operating, or driving a vehicle that passes a school bus on the side that children enter and exit when the school bus displays a stop signal commits a moving violation, punishable as provided in Chapter 318, and is subject to a mandatory hearing under the provisions of s. 318.19
Source: NHSTA, Florida Legislature
Multiple co-sponsors of the bill spoke at Hochul’s press conference.
Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said the program was “clearly needed” in Greenburgh due to previous red light-related accidents.
“Red-light cameras save lives,” NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said that red-light running and related crashes have dropped 73 percent where cameras have been installed throughout the city.
“In the coming months, we will be analyzing crash data to determine the most effective and equitable way to expand the use of this critical safety tool,” Rodriguez said.
“Speeding is a serious danger, especially around our schools, and speed camera programs have proven to make a real difference in preventing fatalities, keeping both students and the wider community safe,” State Senator Michelle Hinchey said.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Hochul for comment.
