Rate of bus camera violations called ‘unconscionable’ as tickets rise

School bus camera violations continue to surge in the Yorktown Central School District, raising serious safety concerns among district leaders and officials.

At the May 11 Board of Education meeting, Superintendent of Schools Ron Hattar described the ongoing pattern of violations as “unconscionable.”

Underhill Avenue, Route 35, and Route 202 continue to see the highest number of violations, according to Hattar.

In March, the district recorded 68 tickets and 28 close calls. In April, despite the district being closed for a few days for spring break, there were 90 tickets issued and 24 close calls. Close calls refer to near-miss incidents where vehicles came dangerously close to stopped school buses while children were boarding or exiting.

READ: School bus cameras catch hundreds of drivers in Yorktown

Board of Education Vice President Reshmi Bose asked whether the monthly violations are being issued to repeat offenders.

“We don’t have data specifically on how many repeat tickets were issued,” Hattar said. “That’s a great question that I can ask BusPatrol.”

BusPatrol is the company that generates the citations that are then sent to the Westchester County Police Department, which ultimately issues the tickets.

Board of Education President Lisa Rolle also raised concerns about the scale and seriousness of the issue.

“It’s very concerning—the number of tickets. That means a child could be getting of the bus and someone is coming—this could end tragically,” she said. “I can't understand why someone can't stop for five seconds for a bus.”

She asked whether the district had specific locations on the roads where violations are occurring more frequently and whether the Yorktown Police Department could or is already patrolling those areas.

Data provided by YCSD.

Under state law, school buses equipped with stop-arm cameras capture vehicles that illegally pass when buses are stopped with red lights flashing and stop arms extended. The footage is reviewed and forwarded to law enforcement, where violations can result in fines starting at $250 for first offenses.

Despite long-standing traffic laws requiring drivers to stop for school buses, violations continue as children are boarding and exiting—moments officials repeatedly describe as among the most dangerous of the school day.

“I am very much a proponent of the stop-arm cameras on our school buses,” Town Supervisor Ed Lachterman told Yorktown News. “Our children are very vulnerable to accidents when getting on and off the school bus. Passing a bus picking up or discharging children is not only dangerous, but irresponsible.”

The Yorktown Central School District implemented stop-arm school bus cameras this school year, following the neighboring Lakeland Central School District, which added the technology in 2024. Since then, hundreds of violations have been captured, underscoring both the scale of the issue and ongoing concerns about driver compliance.

District and town officials are urging drivers to be more alert and to help protect the town’s most vulnerable residents.

“Even if you're on the other side of a double yellow line, you must stop,” Hattar said. “Even if there are multiple lanes on that road, you must stop.”