Parents should never ever have to worry that their child's bus ride to and from school is anything other than safe. 

Did you know that according to the New York State, about 1.5 million students ride school buses to and from school every year, and that the New York Association of Pupil Transportation has estimated that 50,000 drivers illegally pass stopped school buses every day in New York?   

In April, 2018, law enforcement targeted people who passed stopped school buses during Operation Safe Stop, and more than 850 people were ticketed, which amounts to someone passing a stopped school bus more than 150,000 times in a 180-day school year, according to authorities. This is a dangerous problem, but we have an answer.  

Now that we have the opportunity and the technology to protect children from the dangerous and illegal threat of motorists passing stopped school buses during drop off and pick up, this is a moment we cannot let pass by.  Please sign this petition showing your support for Suffolk County Resolution (IR) 1812-2019, a local law to implement a "School Bus Photo Violation Monitoring System".

This Legislature determines that New York State has authorized counties to opt into a school bus photo violation monitoring program, which will allow the County to install cameras on the exterior of school buses in participating school districts and impose monetary liability on vehicles that fail to stop behind or in front of a school bus while the school bus stop signs are extended, including traffic travelling in both directions on divided highways. 

This Legislature also determines that cars that fail to stop when a school bus operator engages the bus stop signs pose a threat to the safety of the children entering and exiting the bus.

This Legislature further determines that it is difficult to ticket drivers who disregard school bus stop signs without video evidence of the violation, as there are usually no members of law enforcement witnessing the violation. 

This Legislature determines that this school bus photo violation monitoring program will not only help to keep children safe when entering and exiting the school bus, but will also act as a deterrent to those who debate passing a school bus while the stop signs are engaged.

Therefore, the purpose of this law is to implement a demonstration program to impose monetary liability on the owner of a vehicle for failure of the operator to stop when a school bus has its stop signs extended in Suffolk County through the installation and monitoring of external school bus cameras.

The Middle Country Central School District together with its Legislative/Community Outreach Committee would like you to take act now!  Before November 21, 2019, please let the members of the Suffolk County Public Safety Committee know that you support this Legislation by signing this Petition for Suffolk County Resolution (IR) 1812-2019, a local law to implement a "School Bus Photo Violation Monitoring System".  And, please show your support by joining members of the Middle Country Legislative/Community Outreach Committee at the Public Hearing which is scheduled for 9:30  a.m. on Thursday, November 21, 2019 at the Suffolk County Legislature, William H. Rogers Building, 725 Veterans Memorial Highway, Smithtown, NY.  

We need to keep our children safe!! Thanks for your support. 

Middle Country Central School District & Middle Country Legislative Community/Outreach Committee