Carroll County school buses involved in 55 accidents last school year

Carroll County school buses were involved in 55 traffic accidents last school year, according to Transportation Services Director Michael Hardesty. That’s an average of 1.5 incidents during a typical full week of school.

The number of incidents is consistent with the previous school year, though 2023-2024 saw fewer preventable accidents than 2022-2023. Of the 55 accidents recorded as of May, 32 were preventable while 23 were not. Of the 54 accidents recorded during the previous school year, 40 were preventable while 14 were not, according to Hardesty.

Those numbers trend lower than data from the 2021-2022 school year — which saw 48 preventable and 23 non-preventable accidents.

Stop-arm violations

Motorists were caught failing to stop for school buses picking up and dropping off children 8,933 times last school year, nearly 50 times per school day , according to Hardesty. In each case, a driver failed to give the legally required 20-foot berth to a bus displaying red lights and an extended arm with a stop sign attached.

Through a memorandum of understanding with the school system, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for reviewing photographic evidence and determining which violations should result in a citation. About 57% (5,103) of motorists caught on camera were issued a citation, according to Hardesty.

The sheriff’s office’s automated enforcement team, charged with reviewing violations, ensures that the bus displayed both amber and red lights as required and that the offending vehicle was indeed too close, according to Cpl. Jon Light. Enforced violations must also include an image of the vehicle, at least one of the vehicle’s plates, and the time and date of the violation.

Civil violations incur a $250 fine but do not result in points on a driver’s license. Violators may choose to go to court, where a judge may increase the fine to as much as $500, according to Light. In addition to automated enforcement, a police officer who witnesses an offense may issue a ticket, which incurs a $570 fine and three points on the violator’s license.