To combat reckless driving behavior around school buses, Lower Merion School District is partnering with Lower Merion Township and Narberth Borough to launch the new BusPatrol school bus safety enforcement program.

As part of this safety initiative, LMSD’s entire fleet of 135 buses is being outfitted with photo enforcement technology to detect the license plates of vehicles that fail to stop for school buses, putting children at risk. The video evidence is shared with local law enforcement for review before a notice of violation is issued. The penalty for a first-time violation is $300.

The program went live on August 1, 2025.

Each school year, school buses are illegally passed an estimated 43.5 million times nationwide, which puts students at risk. In Pennsylvania alone, state authorities reported nearly 200 violations in a single school day during Operation Safe Stop 2023, which could translate to approximately 31,500 violations over a typical 180-day school year.

As stated by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, motorists must stop at least 10 feet away from school buses with red lights flashing and stop-arm extended.

You can learn more about the BusPatrol bus safety program here.