I begged to go to court after getting a ‘wrongful’ $275 fine – I passed a stopped school bus but was not in the wrong

A DRIVER was automatically issued a $275 ticket after passing a stopped school bus – but he said a large truck blocked his view.

Since the fine was from a camera on the bus, he wasn’t offered a chance to defend himself, he claims.

WHEC

WHEC

WHEC

WHEC

Scott Janowski, a driver in Greece, New York , was shocked to see a $275 fine for passing a stopped school bus in May.

All 50 states have laws prohibiting the passing of a school bus when it’s stopped and the flashing stop sign is erected.

When the sign is out and flashing, all drivers must stop and wait for the bus to fold the sign and put it away before continuing.

The law exists to protect children who may pass in front of the bus from the passenger’s side.

When cars aren’t stopped, children are then in danger of being struck and killed or seriously injured by a passing vehicle.

Janowski said he never intentionally passed the school bus all those months back.

“And by the time I looked back, this car had blacked out windows and stuff and he had passed the stopped school bus,” he told NBC affiliate WHEC .

“By the time I see the school bus I’m running at 35 miles per hour, there’s no way I could stop for the school bus.”

New York is one of a handful of states that equipped school buses with cameras to catch and fine those who fail to stop for a school bus.

The footage from the outlet clearly shows Janowski passing the school bus in his wife’s minivan, and the SUV with the tinted windows in the opposite lane.

Unlike other traffic tickets in the state, automatic tickets issued from a bus camera don’t allow drivers to contest the fine in court unless the driver writes and sends a letter through the mail.

“All I want here is a fair chance to get in front of a judge to tell him my side of the story,” he said.

He tried to request a hearing, though it was denied.

“About another three weeks after that I got a denial because it was late,” he said.

Late fees increased the ticket from $250 to $275.

Reporters contacted Bus Patrol, the operator, on Janowski’s behalf and explained his situation – mentioning his wife’s hospitalization as a valid reason for the delay.

Laws on Passing a School Bus

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA), it’s illegal in all 50 states to pass a school bus when it is stopped, the red strobe lights are flashing, and the stop sign is deployed.

“All States require the traffic in both directions to stop on undivided highways when students are getting on or off a school bus,” the agency’s website reads.

Florida launched a program in May 2024 that will cite drivers illegally passing stopped school buses with the help of AI-powered cameras to capture footage of violators, citing an important law.

In Florida, Chapter 316 Title 19 reads:

• Any person using, operating, or driving a vehicle on or over the roads or highways of this state shall, upon approaching any school bus which displays a stop signal, bring such vehicle to a full stop while the bus is stopped, and the vehicle shall not pass the school bus until the signal has been withdrawn. A person who violates this section commits a moving violation, punishable as provided in chapter 318.
• Any person using, operating, or driving a vehicle that passes a school bus on the side that children enter and exit when the school bus displays a stop signal commits a moving violation, punishable as provided in Chapter 318, and is subject to a mandatory hearing under the provisions of s. 318.19

Source: NHSTA , Florida Legislature

While the organization denied the request for an on-camera interview, Janowski was assigned a court date.

Bus Patrol also waived his late fee, bringing it back down to $250.

So far, the cameras are proving to be effective, as the city says few people pass a bus again after getting a ticket.

“More importantly, second-time passings are significantly lower,” said David Christopher, the Executive Director of the New York Association for Pupil Transportation.

“Recidivism in other words. People don’t do it twice.”