KSHB 41 reporter Marlon Martinez covers Platte and Clay counties in Missouri. As part of his beat, he regularly checks in with the school district and Sheriff's departments, which led him to this story. Share your story idea with Marlon.
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Platte County R-3 School District is helping law enforcement crackdown on cars illegally passing stopped school buses through new technology.
The school district says numbers of cars illegally passing stopped school buses are climbing— even as red lights flash and stop arms extend to protect children.
District officials say it’s not a rare occurrence — it’s happening almost every day.
“Safety is the key, and that’s our motto. The most important thing is having our students safely board and on board buses,” said J.T. Thomas, the district’s Director of Transportation.
Thomas says since the start of the school year, drivers have committed more than 60 stop-arm violations, and that number continues to climb.
To catch violators, the district recently upgraded its bus camera technology. The new system includes clearer images, GPS tracking, and real-time alerts, allowing the district to capture license plates and share that information with law enforcement.
“They were having anywhere from two to three cars almost every day go past the school bus when it was stopped and was discharging the children,” said Captain Jeffrey Shanks with the Platte County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies say they’ve increased patrols near bus routes, but too many drivers remain distracted or impatient.
“I don't know if it's a problem with people being patient, if they're just not understanding the law or anything else, but when the school bus is stopped and the stop sign is out, the state law is very specific,” Shanks said.
Thomas is urging drivers to take the flashing red lights seriously.
“We carry the most precious cargo there is, and you don't want to hit somebody's child. You just don't,” Thomas said. “So pay attention to the stop arm.”
While deputies must witness a violation to issue a ticket directly, the district works with the Missouri State Highway Patrol by turning over video evidence and license plate numbers from the cameras.
So far the Missouri Highway patrol has cited five drivers from the new cameras.
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