‘We are shocked’: 4,300 drivers in Polk County cited for passing stopped school buses
by: Sierra Rains
In just 11 weeks, Polk County deputies handed out thousands of citations to drivers who were reportedly caught speeding past stopped school buses.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the total number of citations issued during the first half of the school year racked up to over 4,300.
“We are shocked at the number of tickets we’ve issued to drivers who are NOT stopping for school buses,” the sheriff’s office said in a Monday social media post.
Each traffic citation is $198 — amounting to over $850,000.
Sheriff Grady Judd said that money goes to the school board to pay for a program that involves equipping school buses with safety cameras to capture evidence of the illegal behavior.
Law enforcement agencies in neighboring counties have been dealing with similar issues, with multiple crashes reported in recent weeks.
An 11-year-old died from her injuries after being struck by a car soon after getting off a school bus in Hernando County on Jan. 21, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Two days later, authorities said a 13-year-old girl was struck and injured by a car after getting off a school bus in Pasco County.
Deputies with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said they’d like to see the number of citations drop to zero.
“Please remind your family and friends, and yourselves when you get in the car each morning, to watch for school buses,” the sheriff’s office said. “Let’s work together to stop for school buses, so we can stop issuing citations, and we can all ensure the safety of our children.”