Starting next week, impatient motorists will get a citation in the mail if they illegally pass a Forsyth County school bus picking up or dropping off children.
Forsyth County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer Corporal Doug Rainwater said cameras installed on the buses will begin recording the license plate of anyone who breaks the law by passing a stopped bus during its route.
"This is a crisis almost because this a huge complaint from the citizens and we want to address it the best way we can," Rainwater said.
Rainwater said there will be no grace period for tickets and, "If you know that there's a school bus that stops on Pilgrim Mill Road at 7:20 a.m., make sure you're through Pilgrim Mill by 7:20 a.m. or be prepared to stay an extra few minutes for that school bus."
Rainwater said a driver's unwillingness to stop could cost a child their life. He expounded on that saying, "It's so important you pay attention to the kids because you don't know what's in the mind of that 8-year-old when he wants to run back and make sure he gets his book bag for school. He's not thinking about the roadways. All he's thinking about is that his mother is parked across the road and he's going to run and try to get to mother before she drives off."
The program is a joint effort between the Sheriff's Office and the Forsyth County School Board, and cameras go live the morning of Monday, April 30.
