Iowa is looking to purchase CCTV cameras to help enforce an Iowa law that increased penalties for drivers who illegally drive past a school bus if it is stopped on a road.
The law, typically referred to as Kadyn’s Law, suspends a driver’s privileges for 30 days for a first conviction, increasing it to 90 days for a second conviction and 180 days for a third conviction. The law was promulgated in response to the 2011 death of 7-year-old Kadyn Halverson, who was hit by a car when she was crossing the road to board a school bus.
Randy Meyer, who oversees transportation at Mason City and Clear Lake schools, believes an exterior camera on school buses are needed to assist in identifying more violators. Without the camera, it is hard to identify a car when the violation occurs because they drive by so fast. Only about 10% of drivers who pass the buses illegally get reported to the police.If a license plate can be captured on video, a potential violator may think twice and stop.
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