School bus cameras catch hundreds of drivers in Yorktown

When a school bus stops, other drivers are supposed to stop too. That's been the law for decades, and the signals to stop are blatant—not only does the bus flash red lights, it also deploys a stop arm with a big red stop sign.

Yet every day, some drivers ignore those signals and blow past stopped buses as children are getting on and off. While those violations aren't that different from going through red lights or stop signs, drivers who ignore the signals have been hard to catch because, unlike a stop sign or light, there's no fixed point for police to observe.

But thanks to a 2019 law, school districts can equip their buses with stop-arm cameras that video drivers who ignore the stop signals. The district can then send the evidence to local authorities, where it eventually lands with law enforcement. Violators can face stiff fines—$250 for first offenses.

Lakeland added the technology in 2024, with Yorktown adding stop-arm cameras this school year, and in the short time the technology has been in use, hundreds of drivers have been caught on camera running the signals.

From Sept. 1 through Dec. 31, 2025, BusPatrol cameras recorded 743 stop-arm violations in Yorktown, across the Yorktown and Lakeland school districts. Neighboring Cortlandt recorded 887 violations during the same period. It is unclear how many violations resulted in tickets or how many came from each individual district. Not all buses traveling through the area are assigned to the town’s school districts.

Yorktown Superintendent of Schools Ron Hattar said at the Jan. 12 Board of Education meeting that 47 tickets were issued in November and 43 in December, a shorter school month. Yorktown began using the technology at the start of the school year. While tickets may be issued within the Yorktown Central School District, the violations do not exclusively involve Yorktown school buses and may include BOCES or other out-of-district buses.

Hattar also noted 25 “close calls” in November and 16 in December, cases in which there was not enough evidence to issue a ticket. Route 202 and Underhill Avenue were the most common locations for violations, he said.

He alerted Town Supervisor Ed Lachterman and said the town has posted signs in high-traffic areas where violations are most common, warning drivers they could be ticketed for passing a stopped school bus.

“I am hoping at some point we’ll see those numbers decline,” Hattar said. His goal is that they will “eventually [drop] down to zero in a perfect world.”

The Lakeland Central School District was one of the first 11 districts in Westchester County to participate in the school bus safety program and began issuing tickets in November 2024. Student safety continues to be a top priority, Karen Gagliardi, Lakeland Superintendent of Schools, said in an email to Yorktown News.

Stop-arm camera violation data is collected by the municipality, but the Lakeland Central School District does not receive any of the resulting revenue. According to Gagliardi, fines from these violations are handled by a county agency and do not go back to the district.

“From an operational standpoint, our Transportation Department has found the stop-arm cameras to be a helpful safety tool. Prior to their installation, bus drivers regularly reported vehicles illegally passing stopped school buses-often in the same locations. Since the cameras have been implemented, those complaints have decreased significantly, which we view as a positive step toward improving compliance and keeping students safe as they get on and off the bus,” the statement said. “We remain committed to working with our partners to promote awareness, responsible driving, and the safety of all students.”

Under New York state law, motorists must stop at least 20 feet from a school bus when its red lights are flashing and stop arm is extended. Violations recorded by stop-arm cameras carry a minimum civil penalty of $250 for the vehicle-owner. Repeat offenses within 18 months carry fines of up to $300.

Drivers can legally pass a stopped bus if its lights aren’t flashing and the stop-arm isn’t extended — for example, when the bus pulls over to let traffic by. Still, with buses stopping often, drivers are urged to slow down and stay cautious.

Video evidence gathered by the stop-arm cams is reviewed by law enforcement before a summons is mailed to the offending vehicle's registered owner. The National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS) estimated that more than 43 million illegal school bus passings occurred across the United States during the 2022–23 school year.

The program is part of Westchester County’s partnership with BusPatrol—a countywide program that aims to improve student safety and change driver behavior, with districts able to participate at no cost to taxpayers.

School and local officials said the program is designed to raise awareness and protect the town’s youngest residents.

Police Chief Robert Noble said the cameras help address safety challenges across the town’s extensive road network.

“With over 400 lane miles of road in Yorktown, it is difficult to be everywhere at once,” Noble said. “The stop arm cameras are a welcome addition to attempt to change driver behavior and enhance awareness of school bus student pick up and drop off.”

While the stop-arm program is under the county's jurisdiction, Noble said his officers will assist if requested.

Lachterman said he supports the program and believes more public awareness could improve compliance.

“I think we can do a little more to push this out and educate the public,” he said.