NEW WORLD


AI brings new options to student transporters, ranging from keeping students safe in the school bus ‘Danger Zone’ to intelligent routing to collision avoidance


Written by Mark Rowh J


ust where is AI taking us? Self- driving buses? Machines replacing people? Depending on who you ask, that may or may not be the


end game with artificial intelligence and school transportation. But even the most ardent techies would have to agree this won’t happen anytime soon. Even as new technology keeps integrating itself into our lives, it’s hard to imagine parents—let alone those charged with transporting children safely—embracing such a radical change until it becomes the norm in society at large. At the same time, the potential use of


AI isn’t restricted to such far-reaching advancements. In a number of operational areas, school districts can already take advantage of artificial intelligence to increase efficiency and promote safety.


28 School Transportation News • MARCH 2024


One development now catching on is enhancing the capability


of stop-arm cameras to protect students as they leave or board the bus. Stop-arm systems offered by companies such as Bus Patrol, Safe Fleet and Gatekeeper offer more robust options than ever for insuring student safety. Safe Fleet’s Predictive Stop Arm (PSA), for instance, uses radar


and predictive analytics to monitor oncoming traffic. If the ana- lytics identify a risk that an oncoming vehicles may not stop, the


PHOTO BY TAYLOR EKBATANI


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