In Peabody and Salem, new video reveals ‘an epidemic of reckless driving’

PEABODY, Mass. — In Peabody and Salem, new video recorded on school buses reveals what some say is “an epidemic of reckless driving.”

The video, recorded from September 3rd to October 24th, shows drivers over and over again ignoring flashing lights and extended school bus stop arms and passing school buses while children try to board or leave their school buses.

The company Bus Patrol America installed cameras on 11 Salem school buses.

Since September, those cameras recorded 11 hundred drivers in Salem, violating the law, by not stopping for school busses

“Sadly, I’m not surprised. Bus drivers have been telling us this has been their most significant pain point is drivers going through the stop arms,” said Salem School Superintendent Steve Zrike.

Police say this is a tragedy waiting to happen.

“It is more dangerous to run a stop sign next to a school bus than any other stop sign,” Salem Police Captain John Burke said.

In neighboring Peabody, similar results.

Bus Patrol America’s cameras on seven school busses recorded 700 drivers sailing right by stopped school buses

“What we are seeing in communities like Peabody and Salem, and communities, frankly around the country, is an epidemic of reckless driving around stopped school busses,” said Steve Randazzo of Bus Patrol America

In Peabody and Salem, officials hope the shocking videos will help convince Beacon Hill lawmakers to change laws, allowing police to use these images to write tickets to offenders

“There has to be more enforcement. Our number one priority is getting kids to and from school safely. Obviously, they can’t learn if they can’t get to school,” said Superintendent Zrike.

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