The number of Cobb County School buses equipped with camera systems that record stop arm violators will soon double. Officials said it is confirmation that the experimental program is helping to make a remarkable dent in the number of drivers who fail to stop when school kids are crossing the street.

Approximately 1,000 buses carry Cobb County public school students to and from class each day. It is the riskiest part of their school experience. But with the advent of camera systems on school buses, that trip has become a lot safer, according to Cobb Police.

"I think we're down to about 450-500 violations per day from 1,600 violations per day two years ago," said Lt. Hawk Hagebak, who commands traffic operations at the department.

The system of seven cameras is mounted on 101 Cobb school buses, according to Hagebak. The County is installing them on 98 additional buses. When completed, cameras will be on board approximately 20-percent of the entire fleet, he said.

However, they amount to a powerful deterrent because the buses are used on routes where stop arm violations are most frequent, he continued. Once deployed on a particular route, violations in that area soon disappear, Hagebak said.

"It is hard to refute that a violation has taken place," he said, noting that cameras not only capture vehicles driving past a bus when its stop arm is deployed, but also capture the vehicle's license tag.

Violations cost drivers $300.00. No points are assessed against a violator's driving record for a video citation, Hagebak said. That contrasts with stop arm violations witnessed by law officers. In those cases, fines can range up to $1,000.00 and six points against a violator's driving record.