Photo by Sandy Torchon
For past generations, riding a bus with a trusted bus driver was never really an issue. Now, however, school bus safety and who’s driving the bus, especially with employee turnover has parents legitimately worried. What is even more worrying is the school bus stop if someone does not accompany and wait with a child for the arrival of the bus.
Children can be more at risk approaching and leaving a bus or while waiting at the bus stop than actually riding it. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says riding the bus is 70 times safer than riding in a car. Yet the majority of incidents, many fatal, involving school children take place when getting on or off the bus or waiting for it to arrive. So, what can school administrators and parents do to ensure child safety?
Security Technology on the Bus
School buses can now make use of technological advancements to improve safety for children. Some of those advancements include
Stop-arm cameras
Many accidents take place because motorists don’t respect laws requiring them to stop behind a bus when a school bus arm is extended. The annual NASDPT survey reported more than 17 million violations of the stop-arm rule in the 2018-19 academic year alone. Fines resulting from violations often cover the cost of installing cameras to record bad actors.
GPS capabilities and school bus tracking
Parents and administrators can track a school bus’s whereabouts. They know where children are and can get updates in real-time adding to peace of mind. GPS systems should include the longitude and latitude position of the bus, route monitoring and exceptions, unauthorized use of a bus, status reports, and geofencing.
RFID capabilities
RFID technology allows bus drivers to check entry and exit from a school bus through the use of RFID cards and a tablet or mobile app. Drivers scan cards when entering and exiting to check that students are on the right bus and get on and off at the right stop. Data is kept private, but parents can access their child’s information.
Panic button capabilities
Systems are available for drivers to transmit emergency alerts while they are actively en route. These systems permit drivers to send alerts and potentially use a vehicle-disabling feature if installed.
Video monitoring on the bus
This permits a video feed of activities within the bus while it is in operation.
The Important Role of Bus Drivers
School bus drivers usually undergo both rigorous training and background checks before they are entrusted with the safety of the children they are accompanying to and from school. Emergency training is also a part of driver education. Bus driver security training has become increasingly important in the wake of the Covid pandemic and the escalation in violence in school environments. The NASDPTS has called on authorities to include training for personal safety, vandalism and theft, parental custody issues, weapon possession, drug or alcohol possession, violent behavior, and hijacking in bus driver education.
When a child leaves for school, the bus driver may be the first adult that they come into contact with. Continuity in driving the same route permits bus drivers to increase familiarity with students along their routes. With proper security training, the driver may be the first adult to note worrying behavioral changes that may be an alarm for dangerous incidents such as carrying a weapon to school.
Facility Security Options
Schools can implement physical security measures to extend safety at school facilities and properties. These might include the utilization of:
- Security personnel
- Security monitoring with surveillance cameras in schools and on outside premises and Intrusion detection
- CCTV
- Smart lighting and fencing with appropriate gates.
School vehicles need to be secured and protected when not in use. If they are unattended, they should be locked, with all windows shut, and subject to both pre-and post-trip inspections. Vehicle keys need to be properly protected.
Alternate Emergency Routes and Communication Protocols
School Transportation authorities should have alternative routes and protocols planned in the event of necessity. Proper planning can aid drivers in avoiding highly populated areas or critical infrastructures should accidents block roadways, natural disaster strikes or civil unrest appear.
Buses and drivers should also have emergency communication alternatives in place that involve not only school administrators but law enforcement and emergency service providers as well. Two-way- communication technologies, coded commands, or keywords should be included.
Photo by Matthis Volquardsen
In Conclusion
While no security program is inviolable, these security protocols do increase the safety of children when using school transportation and afford both administrators and parents greater peace of mind.
Parents can also play a determining role in their children’s safety by having their children arrive at bus stops at least five minutes before the bus arrival, maintaining a safe distance from the curb, and waiting for the driver to give the okay to climb aboard using appropriate handrails.
Children should use sidewalks and crossways when moving around buses or crossing the street. They should not ever walk behind a vehicle. Finally, if something drops in the street or next to the bus, children need to be instructed not to attempt to retrieve their possessions without first informing the bus driver.
