Orange County video shows drivers illegally passing school buses, near misses with children

Orange County’s new school bus safety video captures a danger parents know too well: drivers blowing past stopped buses and children barely clearing the roadway before a car reaches them. County officials say the footage underscores why the stop-arm camera program has become one of the county’s largest traffic-enforcement efforts, with about 34,000 violations approved since it began in June 2024.

The county said the video, released March 24, was recorded by exterior bus cameras and will be shared on its website and social media as part of the School Safety Program. More than 1,000 school buses now carry the technology across 14 public-school districts, including Newburgh, Middletown, Washingtonville, Kiryas Joel, Warwick Valley, Greenwood Lake, Goshen, Monroe-Woodbury, Valley Central, Minisink Valley, Highland Falls-Fort Montgomery, Port Jervis, Cornwall and Pine Bush.

Pete Cirigliano, commissioner of the Orange County Department of Emergency Services, said the camera system produced far more violations than officials expected once it was in place. He said roughly 60 percent of the recorded videos are approved before a ticket is mailed, a step that matters because each alleged violation is reviewed before a civil citation is issued.

The county launched enforcement in 2024 after a 30-day warning and education period, during which more than 1,000 warning letters were sent. Citations began on June 8, 2024, and motorists caught by the cameras receive a $250 civil penalty in the mail. The county says the fines go to the vehicle owner, not necessarily the driver, and do not affect driver’s license points or insurance rates.

Officials have framed the program as a response to a broader safety problem that extends far beyond one county. Orange County has cited a 2023 estimate from the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services that more than 43.5 million stop-arm violations occur nationwide each year. The county also pointed to New York State estimates that more than 50,000 drivers illegally pass stopped school buses on a single school day.

Orange County has said the cameras, installation and maintenance come at no cost to school districts or taxpayers. The county expanded the program in June 2025 to include Warwick Valley, Greenwood Lake and Goshen, joining Newburgh, Middletown, Washingtonville and Kiryas Joel. Goshen Superintendent Tom Bongiovi has backed the effort, saying the cameras add accountability in a high-risk setting where one reckless pass can turn a routine bus stop into a tragedy.

New York law requires drivers to stop at least 20 feet from a stopped school bus with red lights flashing and the stop arm extended. Orange County’s latest video is meant to make that rule harder to ignore.