N.B. school district uses camera to catch drivers failing to stop for school buses

School bus drivers in New Brunswick say too many drivers are failing to stop for their flashing red lights.

As part of a pilot project between the Anglophone East School District and the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, a new camera has been installed on one of the district’s school buses to nab drivers.

READ: New Brunswick aims to launch bus camera pilot this school year, development ‘ongoing’

“We hope that this is going to be an effective tool to put an end to this very dangerous practice” said Aubrey Kirkpatrick, the director of finance and administration with the school district.

“After four days of use last week, we had three violations that we captured with good video front and back.”

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He said the videos are being compiled by the district, along with bus drivers’ eye witness reports, and will be submitted to the RCMP.

“By introducing this camera, what we are hoping is that people will say, ‘I shouldn’t take that risk,'” said Kirkpatrick.

He said a chilling video captured last week by a parent in New Hampshire drove home the need for the cameras.

The video posted by David Cota-Robles shows a school bus stopping and just as two boys step out to cross the road, a car blows right past the bus’s flashing stop lights

“It is scary how fast this car went through. It just went through like that and it was by the grace of God that they weren’t hit,” said Kirkpatrick.

According to the RCMP, drivers who fail to stop for school buses can face fines starting at almost $300 and in certain circumstances, could face criminal charges of dangerous driving.

According to New Brunswick’s Department of Public Safety, there were 29 convictions handed out between April 2017 and March 2018 across the province to drivers for failing to stop for a school bus.

WATCH: Driver seriously injured after car rear-ends school bus in Grand-Barachois, N.B.

1:35 Driver seriously injured after car rear-ends school bus in Grand-Barachois, N.B.

Kirkpatrick has asked the province to make funds available to equip all newly-purchased buses with the $,6000 camera gear – something the department of education says it is considering.