At the beginning of the school year, Baltimore County officials announced they had installed cameras on county school buses to crack down on motorists who didn’t stop as bus operators dropped off or picked up students.

Drivers were issued warnings for violations for 30 days after the program was announced. But since Nov. 4, the Baltimore County Police Department has been issuing citations to drivers. Police said Tuesday they had issued more than 7,400 citations, a 50-fold increase from the 148 citations that police issued to people who didn’t stop for school buses in 2023. There were 175 and 128 citations issued in 2022 and 2021, respectively.

“There’s a lot more egregious driving than we anticipated,” said Sgt. Joshua Ronning, who reviews driving violation cases. Dangerous driving behavior around school buses is widespread, though some bad actors have racked up multiple violations, he continued. “It appears to just be kind of ignorance of the law and people not understanding when they have to stop and when they don’t.”

Here’s what you need to know about the cameras and the citations.

What does the law say about driving near school buses?

In most cases, drivers traveling in any direction must stop at least 20 feet from a stopped school bus with flashing red lights, according to Maryland law. The only exception is when a driver travels in the opposite direction of a bus on a highway divided by dirt, grass or another physical barrier.

How do the cameras work?

When bus drivers wants to drop off or pick up kids, they will signal this to other drivers by flashing red lights. Under the new program, a camera system attached to the bus captures pictures and videos of any cars that pass the bus while its lights are flashing. The evidence is verified by AngelTrax, an Alabama-based vendor that supplies the cameras, and then again by the county police department, Ronning said. After that, AngelTrax sends a citation to the vehicle owner, who can pay or contest the citation in court.

How much are the citations?

The cameras issue a $250 citation for driving past a docked school bus that is picking up or dropping off kids. Citations issued directly by police, though, can result in a $570 fine and three points issued to a driving record. If an officer issues a citation, the department will coordinate with AngelTrax to make sure the driver isn’t fined twice for the same violation, Ronning said.

The state’s Motor Vehicle Administration issues a slate of penalties depending on the number of points that a driver accrues in two years:

• Three to four points — MVA sends a driver a warning letter.
• Five to seven points — The MVA will require a driver to enroll in a Driver Improvement Program (DIP).
• Eight to 11 points — The MVA will send a driver a suspension notice, which could trigger a license suspension, court hearing or a restriction of driving privileges.
• 12 or more points — The MVA will send a driver a revocation notice, which could trigger a license revocation, court hearing or restrict driving privileges.

The revenue generated from this program will help sustain the camera systems and the school district.

How long does it take to change bad driving behavior?

After a red light camera or speed camera is installed, the police department sets a 30-day warning period before it starts issuing citations. Still, the police department typically observes a large spike in citations immediately after the warning period, when the camera is fully activated. It is unclear how long it takes for driving behavior to improve, because that largely depends on how egregious driving patterns are on a particular street before a camera is installed, Ronning said.

In neighboring jurisdictions, like the District of Columbia, the introduction of speeding and red-light cameras on several blocks has resulted in a similar initial spike in citations that has largely fizzled out in subsequent years, according to a previous Washington Post report. District leaders say this indicates cameras have slowly improved driving behavior, in part because more than 70% of drivers who receive a citation do not receive a second one.