BETHEL SCHOOL DISTRICT — Drivers, consider this a warning.  Failing to stop for a school bus can result in fines.

Every year, the Bethel transportation department sees numerous violations – where motorists have ignored stopping buses.

So, to help promote safety, the district is taking an extra step. For a one-year trial basis, the Bethel School Board has approved the installation of safety cameras on school buses.  About 10% of the fleet will be outfitted with the devices.  The project is aimed at helping to capturing motorist violations during the 2012-13 school year.

The cameras are the result of new legislation, State Senate Bill 5540. The law allows school districts to install small safety cameras on school buses to capture video of motorists who disregard school bus stop paddles and flashing lights when students are loading and unloading at bus stops.

Under the current law, bus drivers need to identify the make, model and year of the car, as well as identifying characteristics of the driver such as gender, age, hair color to successfully prosecute a violating motorist.

The state plans to use the fines it collects to pay for the cameras and improve school safety zones.