State of Minnesota awards nearly $1.3 million for school bus stop arm cameras

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – In the continued fight against reckless driving, more Minnesota school buses will be equipped with an additional piece of technology to help catch drivers who don’t stop when the bus stop arm is extended, and lights are flashing.

The final round of Stop Arm Camera grants is being award to 18 school districts and transportation companies, some of which are in southeast Minnesota.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) announced $1.3 million in its eighth and final round of grants to a list of phase 8 grantees including Steele, Mower, Freeborn, Dodge, and Faribault counties.

The thought of a child getting killed or injured by a reckless driver on the way to school is terrifying. With nearly 10,000 school bus trips daily in Minnesota, near-misses and violations are dangerous and unacceptable. No child or parent should have to worry about their safety when they’re getting on or off the bus. By using these cameras, more Minnesota communities will be able to hold bad drivers accountable and protect our children.

In total, OTS has awarded more than $15 million in state-funded grants toward school bus stop arm cameras. That funding has equipped 8,000 school buses statewide with camera systems.

Minnesota Stop Arm Violations

Since the beginning of the stop arm grant program in 2022, initial data shows 2,105 citations have been issued to dangerous drivers across the state.

Below is a table outlining citation data from 2020-2024 related violations:

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