only pick-ups are currently being con- sidered in high-risk areas. There are many options if directors
are looking for a driver training course. The National Highway Traffic Safety Ad- ministration offers an online School Bus Driver In-Service curriculum that drivers can take at their own pace. Vendors like the School Bus Safety Company also offer a myriad of training opportunities on topics for everyone involved in trans- portation. Courses consist of leadership, transporting students with special needs, bus garage safety and more. ●
Last month, Elyas Marshall Rodriquez, 9, was killed after he crawled under his school
bus in Orange County, Florida. Rodriquez ran back to the bus after exiting and crawled underneath to retrieve a football he dropped. Visit
stnonline.com/go/i2 to read more.
Technology Adoption to Address Danger The available technology can complement training, as human error and distrac-
tions are constant factors to transporting students. Anthony Shields, director of transportation for San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District in Texas, said having technology to help prevent certain situations is paramount in terms of student safety. One of those technologies Shields is interested in is the predic- tive stop-arm by Safe Fleet, which uses radar to determine if a motorist is not stopping for the school bus. The system alerts the driver and sounds an audible warning for the students. Joe Allen, senior sales executive in Safe Fleet’s school bus division explained the technology on Episode 187 of the School Transporta- tion Nation podcast. Visit
stnpodcast.com to listen. Another technology that can play a big role in student safety focuses on student dragging. Auto-Reserving Doors are available in all Saf-T-Liner C2 models from Thomas Built Buses. The technology prompts the front entry doors to reopen automatically if it senses an object or obstruction in the doorway. “When activated, our system will sound an alarm and the doors will automati-
cally reopen if something or someone is blocking the doorway,” a spokesperson for the company confirmed. Another safety technology, lighting, helps the school bus become more visible, especially helpful in the early morning and late after- noon or early evening hours. All bus OEMS offer various Danger Zone technology as standard equipment on their vehicles. Representatives from Blue Bird, IC Bus and Thomas Built Buses spoke to the Ohio School Bus Safety Working Group on Oct. 30 about their stan- dard safety features. Visit
stnonline.com/go/i0 for a recording of the meeting.
48 School Transportation News • FEBRUARY 2024
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