Troopers riding school buses to spot drivers ignoring stop arms

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — If you pass a school bus, you may see someone extra on board.

Law enforcement officers are riding the buses so they can spot you if you drive around a stopped bus.

Reports say nearly 3,000 people illegally drive past stopped school bus arms in North Carolina every day.

Troopers are riding buses and using unmarked vehicles Tuesday to make sure students are safe when they get on and off the bus.

Troopers say cameras on buses will get cars that they don't stop as well.

In the past 19 years, 14 students have been killed by drivers who blew past school bus arms.

This year, a school district in Alamance County is taking extreme precautions by extending the stop arm on buses an extra four and a half feet.

It is designed to keep drivers from passing stopped buses.

Attorneys say if you are convicted of passing a stopped school bus, you could owe the state nearly $800 between the fine and court costs. It could also increase your insurance rates by 80 percent.

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