AI-powered bus cameras in Montgomery County, Maryland, generated 375,000 tickets and $92 million in fines, but county records showed no evidence of fewer collisions near stopped school buses, raising questions about the technology's safety benefits.
Here's what to know
According to TechSpot, BusPatrol's cameras are installed on about 35,000 school buses in 24 states. The cameras are designed to detect drivers passing buses while their stop signs are extended.
However, an investigation by Type Investigations and Bloomberg found no evidence that collisions near stopped school buses had declined.
The cameras are intended to address the danger posed to children boarding or leaving a bus.
Montgomery County retained $18.5 million from fines collected between 2019 and 2024, compared with roughly $40 million for BusPatrol.
Verra Mobility reported a 70% decline in citations over a school year, according to TechSpot. The provider also said figures it shared showed that 98% of cited drivers did not commit another violation.
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What's being done?
Police review an evidence package before mailing a ticket to a driver, according to Futurism. A reviewer prepares that package using information from a camera that has detected an apparent violation.
AngelTrax is another camera provider involved in efforts to stop drivers from passing stopped buses. According to Local News 8, the company announced a deal with Idaho-based bus charter business Teton Stage Lines.
Katherine Tolar, AngelTrax's operations vice president, told Local News 8 that 98% of drivers do not repeat the behavior once the system catches them and they receive a citation.
"So we do know that it's changing driver behavior," she told Local News 8.
Where can I learn more?
Similar concerns have surfaced over other traffic cameras and surveillance systems.
• In Virginia, a school-zone camera's bogus ticket count jumped from 115 to 834.
• Washington's speed cameras generated $257.8 million in fines, exceeding New York's total.
• Videos showed Tesla robotaxis appearing to speed in school zones, triggering federal review.
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