of their bus more frequently,” Quaranta said. “I think they would be surprised as to what happens on the bus between the seats and how much they miss, even though they may think they’re on top of their student management.” That perspective has been recognized by providers such


as Netradyne, explained Barrett Young, senior vice presi- dent of marketing and fleet business for the company. “We’ve analyzed situations where kids fight on a bus,


throw objects at the driver, or the driver faces some type of accusation,” he said. “With video evidence of these situations, operators can address issues immediately, eliminating ambiguity and a tedious review process.” Quaranta added that cameras can also support an em- phasis on safety when used for training purposes, both with review of loading and unloading procedures and dealing with student behavior. “By reviewing the video in a non-threatening way, you can teach drivers how to better do their jobs and offer constructive suggestions on how to teach children what is expected,” he said. Along with the performance of the equipment itself, Quaranta said he has been pleased with a service plan from a local dealer that includes inspection of each bus cameras three times a year. In the process, any problems are repaired or the cameras are replaced under warran- ty. “Since these cameras get more and more sophisticated each year and I am far from a tech person, I couldn’t pass this up,” he said. “Whenever a principal or driver needs to see bus video, we are almost 100 percent guaranteed that the video will be there and be of good quality.” He added that whenever something is not working


properly, usually the tech has the parts at hand and the camera is back online right away. Overall improvements in camera quality also contin-


ue to impress. For example, the move to high definition has been a key development for Warsaw Community Schools in Warsaw, Indianaw, noted John Ryan, shop manager. The system’s fleet of 73 buses and eight mini buses is equipped with cameras from Seon, a Safe Fleet company. “We have stepped up to high-def cameras in an eight- camera configuration, mainly to see between the seats instead of over the seats due to the height adjustments of [FMVSS 222],” he said.


In addition, he said he likes the microphones included


in latest internal cameras that allow for better hearing of student conversations. Buses are also equipped with stop-arm and forward-facing dash cameras. When upgrading equipment, Ryan said he has learned


to avoid mixing and matching units from different man- ufacturers. “We’ve found in the past that multiple camera systems are a pain,” he explained. “And the size of the fleet with cameras installed makes it difficult to change companies.” The range of applications for video technology has


also expanded, said Lori Jetha, vice president of mar- keting for Safe Fleet. She noted that while districts commonly rely on video footage to investigate com- plaints or support accident reconstruction, other use cases are expanding and evolving. Video evidence can support driver training, student load counting, crisis management and historical or real-time bus location through GPS. The capacity for growth is another consideration. “The school transportation market has continued to demand ever-increasing camera coverage to ensure full visibility on all areas of the bus,” said Clint Bryer, director of sales for student transportation at Safety Vision. He pointed out that seven to nine years ago, few- er than four camera positions in a bus was common. That number increased to six to eight cameras over the last four years. Now, school districts are using up to 12 cameras for complete interior and exterior coverage. At the same time, the use of stop-arm cameras has been a growing imperative, gaining support from groups as varied as school administrators, community groups and state legislators. “We want the system to be able to grow with our


district needs,” noted Ken Martinez, transportation man- ager for Utah’s Salt Lake City School District. That has worked well with the district’s 100 buses, all of which are equipped with video systems from 247Security. “The systems meet our needs and keep getting better


all the time with new and upgraded technology,” Marti- nez added. Going forward, continuing advances in artificial intel- ligence may soon factor into every district’s planning.


14%


Transportation directors/supervisors who said the supply chain shortages are affecting video camera purchasing decisions.


(Out of 100 responses to a recent STN magazine readership survey.)


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