HENRY COUNTY, KY. - There's a device attached to the side of each school bus in Henry County, that's recording each second of the route. The video camera is situated below the bus stop arm, to catch any violators who illegally run the stop sign, and endanger the children loading and unloading.

The cameras have been somewhat successful in holding drivers accountable, but the Director of Transportation says more is needed to stop the violations from happening altogether. One lawmaker's answer is to require stop arm cameras to be on all school buses in the Commonwealth, so he's filed a bill for that. 

When Kevin Whitt watches the videos of violators back, he feels a variety of emotions, like anger. "I know that they are putting the safety of my students at risk," the Director of Transportation told Spectrum News 1. 

Whitt's used the cameras for 5 or 6 years now, and he says they are good tools to shed light on the problem, and try to catch and hold drivers accountable. However, there are still bus stop arm violators. 

"There's no doubt for me the value of this as a tool, but having stop arm cameras on school buses is not going to solve the issue," Whitt said. 

In Kentucky, there's a fine of up to $200 and/or up to 60 days in jail for illegally passing a school bus. For the second offense and each other offense within three years, the fine increases to a maximum of $500, jail time up to six months.

"Until they're enforced, nothing's going to change," said Whitt. 

Whitt's collected data of convictions by county, to prove that many charges are dropped, or fines lowered. For example, in the first three months of 2019, there were 13 charges in Jefferson County. In that same period, only $150 was collected. 

Rep. Robert Goforth (R- Jackson) believes mandating cameras on buses that don't already have them can increase safety across Kentucky, so he's filed a bill to do that if passed. He says a percentage of citations could go back to the districts to fund the cost of the cameras. 

"I think it will deter someone from actually committing that crime. I think that if they realize they're going to be held accountable and we're going to be able to capture an image of their license plate and issue them a citation even if an officer isn't present, then they're going to realize they need to pay attention," said Goforth.