FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Arlington Police Department Partners with Arlington Public Schools to Increase Student Safety
Arlington, MA - August, 27, 2026 - The Arlington Police Department and the Arlington Public Schools are implementing a new school bus safety enforcement strategy for the 2026/2027 school year. The goal of this program is to ensure our students feel safe and secure on our buses, and to identify and issue citations to those drivers who prioritize shaving seconds of their commute time over the safety of our students.
In spring of 2025, the Town accepted the provision of a new law allowing video monitoring of vehicles that overtake or pass a stopped school bus. Under Massachusetts law, all drivers must halt when a school bus has its red lights flashing and stop arm extended, this includes emergency vehicles responding to calls.
Arlington Public Schools' bus fleet is equipped with a camera system which will capture video images of vehicles passing a stopped school bus with its stop arm deployed. The law also allows the use of these camera systems to identify vehicles which fail to comply with this law, and to issue citations to the owner of the vehicle. The bus fleet will display signs notifying motorists of the monitoring system.
Passing a school bus with its stop lights and stop arm activated is not only a violation of the law, but a serious public safety risk for the children riding our buses. All violations will be reviewed by the APD Traffic Unit. Where the evidence supports the issuance of a citation, one will be mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle. The owner may pay the fine, appeal the citation, or if they claim to not have been the driver, they can provide APD with information regarding the person responsible for the violation within 30 days. Violations will show up on the driving record but will not carry an insurance surcharge like other violations witnessed by a police officer. Evidence of a violation will be retained only until enforcement proceedings are complete, and no data will be stored in the cloud or shared with a 3rd party.
Chapter 90 § 14 of the Massachusetts General Law lays out the following penalty schedule for offenders under this statute:
- First Offense - $250 Fine
- Second Offense Occurring within Two Years of First Offense - $1,000 Fine and a 6-Month License Suspension.
- Third Offense Occurring within Four Years of First Offense - $2,000 Fine and a 1-Year License Suspension.
Community Reminder
The Arlington Police Department urges all motorists to:
- Always stop for a school bus with flashing red lights and an extended stop arm.
- Remain vigilant in school zones and neighborhoods during morning and afternoon hours.
- Keep back 100 feet from school buses while they are in operation.
- Keep phones and other distractions out of your hands at all times while in the driver's seat.
- Practice patience—these laws are in place to save lives.
For any questions or concerns regarding school bus safety in Arlington, please reach out to the Arlington Police Department Traffic Unit at (781) 316-3944.