NASHVILLE, Tenn. — In response to injuries and close calls across Tennessee, lawmakers are considering allowing school districts to equip their school bus stop arms with cameras.
The stop arm cameras would aid law enforcement in fining drivers who drive through stop arms when a bus is stopped and children are present.
The measure received no criticism during a Transportation Committee meeting Tuesday morning.
"I brought the legislation on my side because there was a little boy in my district that was hit and he broke his arm," said state house representative Matthew Hill, the sponsor of the bill. "Thankfully, he was able to recover, but the person that hit him said that they didn't see the lights in the stop sign and everything. So, that was the reason that I brought the legislation."
The stop arm cameras cost $1200. The school district can use money raised from fines to fund the cameras. Also, LEA officials would have the final say on which buses or bus routes to use the cameras.
