Staggering numbers of drivers passing stopped Brevard County school buses has district leaders on alert. They are trying to warn of the dangers to children before someone gets hurt.
Lois Schmitt is a veteran bus driver. She's been driving kids to school for seven years.
"It's just frightening to think our kids are in that much danger," said Lois Schmitt.
She's seen drivers drive right past her stopped bus as kids are getting on and off.
"They see you and I guess it just doesn't register that the red lights are for stopping -- and they just wave at you!" she recalled.
It has Brevard school leaders very concerned. So much so they enlisted a company's help in installing an outside camera on one of their buses. What they found after watching the video was scary.
Several violations from just one bus. After surveying drivers from for one day, April 10, they got the mind boggling results.
"We were astonished at the results. It's amazing all the stop arm violations we had," said Arby Creach, Brevard County Schools Transportation director.
We’re told the 400 plus drivers counted 270 total violations that day. Drivers recklessly disregarded the stopped school buses full of children.
If you use that as a guide, it would mean 48,000 stop arm violations in the 180 days of school each year.
"Watching a car come up, a driver sitting in that seat, and a child going across that road, and thinking there's nothing I can do," Creach said.
Titusville Police Chief John Lau saw the video and is on board with educating the public about the problem.
He's also ramping up enforcement in his jurisdiction. "I would call this an epidemic," Lau said.
An epidemic that needs to stop, at the bus stops, before something tragic happens.
"They are our future, we need to watch out for them," added Schmitt.
A first offense for passing a stopped school bus costs you $165. Later offenses can suspend your license and order you to court.