At the start of the school year, Montgomery County police said they are stepping up enforcement around traffic, with a special focus on school bus safety.
Within the first week of the 2026-2027 academic year, 269 driving citations have already been issued, according to a police statement.
MCPD officials said they are actively patrolling high-risk areas in school zones to issue citations for drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses, speed, drive distracted or engage in other dangerous driving behaviors around schools. The most violations last school year occurred in the following three locations:
- 5100 block of River Road in Bethesda
- 8800 block of Colesville Road in Silver Spring
- 7100 block of Arlington Road in Bethesda
Passing a stopped bus can result in a $250 fine if caught on camera. If stopped by a police officer, that fine can increase to $570 and three points on a driving record.
During the 2025-2026 school year, 40,854 citations were issued to drivers who passed stopped school buses.
