In a proactive effort to combat reckless driving behavior around school buses, the School District of Lee County has partnered with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and Bus Patrol to launch a new school bus safety enforcement program to tackle the pervasive issue of illegal school bus passings and protect students.
The program will begin with a 30-day warning period and public awareness campaign starting today, November 5th, during which motorists will receive warning letters with no monetary penalty. Official ticketing will begin on Monday, December 8th, and drivers who fail to stop for a bus with its red lights flashing will face a $225 fine in accordance with Florida state law.
“Student safety is our highest priority,” said Superintendent Dr. Denise Carlin. “The school bus is an extension of our school grounds, and we will do everything we can to protect our children—both in and outside the classroom. Partnering with Bus Patrol is a huge step forward in keeping our kids safe, and we are committed to making sure they get to and from school without incident.”
Through the program, the district’s fleet of more than 600 buses will be equipped with cutting-edge safety technology. This includes stop-arm cameras powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to detect when motorists fail to stop for a stopped school bus with its red lights flashing and stop-arm deployed. The evidence is shared with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office for review before a notice of violation is sent to the registered vehicle owner.
"Failing to stop for a stopped school bus is a serious offense, and it happens far too often,” said Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno. “With cameras now on every school bus, we are strengthening enforcement and sending a clear message: drivers who recklessly pass stopped school buses will be held accountable."
Every year, the Florida Department of Education conducts a single-day survey from bus drivers on the number of times they are illegally passed. In 2025, School District of Lee County bus drivers recorded 663 illegal passes. In 2024, they captured 912, and in both 2023 and 2022, the survey recorded more than 800 cars illegally passing a stopped bus.
As stated by Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, motorists are required to stop for a school bus displaying a stop signal, and must remain stopped until the road is clear of children and the school bus stop arm is withdrawn. The penalty for failing to stop is $225 with no license points.