TOWSON, Md. — Baltimore County is cracking down on drivers illegally passing school buses.
A new safety initiative has seen more buses equipped with cameras, catching hundreds of violators everyday.
WMAR-2 News obtained video of this dangerous trend.
We shared the footage with local parent and teacher Emily Rickelton for reaction.
"I work at a different school, and on my way I pass lots of school buses. I've seen it happen on different types of roads, so it's really concerning and it's something that should be addressed," said Rickelton.
Baltimore County Police say it's an ongoing issue.
On any given day, between 200 and 250 drivers are seen illegally passing buses.
"So far, since the first day of school, we've had 5,351 violations where we have issued warnings," said Baltimore County Police Sergeant, J. Ronning.
MORE: Nearly 50k school bus camera citations were issued last year in five Maryland counties
Drivers are still getting warnings for infractions, but that will soon change.
"There's a 30 day warning period for citations. And the 30 day warning period wasn't to start until 80 percent of the route buses have these cameras installed, and we were able to reach that 80 percent threshold as of Friday October 4th."
Rickelton wants accountability now.
Citations start November 4.
Offenders will be hit with a $250 fine, and if an officer catches you the penalty more than doubles to $570.
Here is a reminder showing what drivers should do to correctly follow the law.
