ROME, Ga. — Every morning, James and Wesley wait with their mom along Chateau Dr. for the daily ride to school. But lately, safety getting on and off the bus has become a concern with drivers passing the school bus, ignoring the flash red lights.
"Most of the time it's someone not paying attention," Hannah Freeman, the boys' mom, explained.
Freeman and her husband said illegal passings were become more frequent so they installed cameras to capture evidence. The family also shared their concern with Rome City School leaders, hoping the district would install stop arm cameras to deter drivers from breaking the law.
"I know the bus driver and monitor are doing everything they can, but as far as everyone else, I can't really trust them to be safe on the road," Freeman told 11Alive.
Getting the boys safely on the bus each day already comes with challenges for Freeman, adding; "Both of my boys have autism. It's hard to get them both to focus in the morning."
Her youngest son, James, also has elopement issues and can wander or run away without notice.
"At any moment he'll just bolt," Freeman said, holding her son close.
Such concern is why she said she reached out to the district to make them aware of the issues along her street, where buses frequently stop.
According to the National Conference on State Legislatures, Georgia was among the first states to allow stop arm cameras on school buses, and at least 24 states have such laws.
In the metro, Atlanta Public Schools, along with Clayton, Cobb, Gwinnett, Fulton and Henry county schools are among the districts who've used the cameras for years. Several districts additionally said the cameras are typically placed in high risk areas.
Smaller districts like Decatur and Marietta City Schools also use stop arm cameras and are comparable in size to Rome City Schools.
In response to our questions, Rome City Schools confirmed they take concerns like Freeman's seriously and are talking with police and city leaders about how to address the issue.
The district's full statement reads in full:
"Rome City Schools is aware of a parent’s concerns regarding motorists illegally passing RCS school buses as they load and unload students.
Rome City Schools takes concerns like these very seriously. Since the parent brought her concerns to the attention of Rome City Schools, we have been engaged in conversations with Rome City Police and the Rome City Commission about how to best address the concern. We are currently exploring a study on the need for and efficacy of school bus stop arm cameras.
Rome City Schools currently has systems in place in which school bus drivers and school bus monitors can report drivers for illegally passing our buses. That information is then turned over to Rome City Police.
When our drivers notice an uptick in illegal passing activity, RCS requests additional Rome City Police presence in those areas.
Safety is the number one priority of Rome City Schools. We will continue to work diligently to ensure that our students are safe and that parent concerns are addressed."