Montgomery County’s school bus cameras are facing questions over safety. The Maryland county issued more than 375,000 tickets and $92 million in fines through its camera enforcement programme, but an investigation by Bloomberg Businessweek and Type Investigations found little reduction in violations and no evidence of fewer collisions near stopped school buses.The findings raise questions about whether the programme is changing driver behaviour. BusPatrol, which operates the cameras, says its technology helps protect children while allowing local authorities to fund installation and operations through violation revenue. Its artificial intelligence cameras flag suspected illegal passing, but police review the evidence before issuing tickets. The $92 million represents fines issued, rather than money collected.
What the investigation found about violations
County figures cited in the investigation show that citations per active camera fell only slightly, from 36 in 2020 to 34 in 2025. Total citations increased over that period, from 50,698 to 51,779.The investigation examined county records, local news reports and camera footage. Its finding of no evidence of fewer collisions does not establish that cameras have no safety value, but it questions whether the volume of tickets demonstrates the promised improvement.
How the camera programme is funded
Between fiscal years 2019 and 2024, Montgomery County retained about $18.5 million from collected fines while setting aside roughly $40 million for BusPatrol, according to the investigation.BusPatrol says its financial arrangements allow it to recover installation and operating costs. The company also says it covers the shortfall when camera expenses exceed violation revenue.The model allows school districts to install equipment without paying the full cost upfront. However, the investigation found that technology fees and revenue-sharing arrangements can leave participating authorities with a limited share of the proceeds.
How AI cameras identify suspected violations
The cameras record vehicles suspected of illegally passing stopped school buses. BusPatrol packages the evidence for police review, with officers deciding whether a citation should follow.The distinction matters because an AI-generated flag is not a finding that a driver broke the law. Human review is still part of the enforcement process.At the time of the investigation, BusPatrol had equipped about 35,000 buses in 24 states and more than 350 school districts. The company said its systems promote student safety and driver accountability and that official crash statistics don’t account for near misses.
