The Palmer Township, Forks Township and the City of Easton Police Departments joined with the Easton Area School District and Bus Patrol to begin automated enforcement of school bus violations this past week.

The Easton Area School District has launched a school bus safety program with Bus Patrol to help protect our children.  All school buses in the district are now equipped with enforcement cameras designed to detect vehicles that illegally pass stopped school buses.  The cameras are synced with the school bus' safety technology, flashing yellow lights, flashing red lights, and Stop-arms. 

When a violation is detected, the cameras record video and still photos from three angles, front of vehicle, rear of vehicle, and side of vehicle.  

When a violation is recorded, Bus Patrol sends the record to the police department who has jurisdiction where the violation occurred.  Our officers will review Palmer Township violations recorded and reported by Bus Patrol, and will either approve or disapprove it. 

If disapproved, no further action is taken. 

If approved, Bus Patrol will then issue a civil citation to the registered owner of the vehicle for a $300 civil penalty: no points, no license suspension.  

If after the review of the video evidence, the violation is determined to be egregious, our officer has the option to approve the civil penalty, or they can issue a regular traffic citation.

If the officer issues the regular traffic citation for the violation of the PA Vehicle Code, the violation carries, upon conviction, all of the following: a $250 fine, 5 points on your driving record and an automatic 60-day suspension of your driving privileges.

If you receive a violation in the mail from Bus Patrol, please review it thoroughly. You will have access to see the video of the alleged violation by signing into the Bus Patrol website. Your notice number is located at the bottom of the violation. 

The Bus Patrol violation will have instructions on how to pay the violation. Payments may be made online, or by mailing a check to Bus Patrol with the bottom portion of the violation to:

• School Bus Safety Program
• PO Box 4187
• Allentown, PA 18105

If you wish to dispute the citation, contact Bus Patrol at 1-800-852-7741. You can visit the Bus patrol website at:  BusPatrol | AI-Powered School Bus Safety Program

Appeals are in front of the local magistrate.

For more information on Pennsylvania's School Bus Stopping law and what constitutes a violation, please click:  https://www.dot.state.pa.us/Public/DVSPubsForms/BDL/BDL%20Publications/Pub%2097.pdf

The safety of our children is very important to us all.

Together, we will continue to promote the safety of our children and remind everyone to be alert and obey the flashing lights and stop signs on school buses.

Thank you for your anticipated cooperation.in keeping our students safe.