A


t the end of Shea Schreiber’s email signature is a quote from safety speaker, author and trainer John Drebinger, “Safety isn’t something that can be saved up and deposited into a bank


like money. Every day you start with a zero balance, and you’ve got to make it through the day (safely).” Schreiber, the transportation coordinator for the Alex-


ander Central School District east of Buffalo, New York, commented that GPS is one of those layers of safety. “The more demanding society gets regarding where buses are, the more I am realizing live GPS would be beneficial,” she said. “I would know at any time where one of my buses is without calling on the radio and having minutes go by.” The district’s fleet of 13 large buses and six vans transports 600 of its 760 students throughout 110 square miles. Schreiber represents many school transportation officials wanting to see safety technology available in their personal vehicles become standard on school bus- es. But for many districts, budgetary restraints prevent upgrading older buses or ordering a full slate of safety technology on new buses. In 2021, school bus-related crashes killed 108 people


nationwide, up 50 percent compared to the pandem- ic-related low number of 54 in 2020, according to National Safety Council tabulations of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data. Meanwhile, there are more than 43 million stop arm violations yearly, according to the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services. “Motorists are getting more distracted with daily life


inside of their vehicles,” noted Schreiber, who said she would also like to see more stop-arm cameras on school buses to deter infractions from passing motorists. As would Sarah Stecher, transportation secretary for


Ayersville Local Schools in Defiance, Ohio, whose dis- trict transports 320 of its 805 total students within 51.41 square miles with seven buses. “We’ve had several people pass our buses when they’re


stopped with their lights on and stop signs out, but we live in a rural area where there’s not usually witnesses around to catch a license plate number,” Stecher said. Meanwhile, Zada Stamper, transportation and com-


munity education director for Laurel Public Schools in Montana, said she wants to see side-impact technology standard. As has happened elsewhere in the U.S., there have been side impact crashes in her area. The district’s 25 buses transport 786 of its 1,852 students throughout 187 square miles.


One the other hand, Regina Anderson, transportation


director for Falls Church City Public Schools in Virgin- ia, said she would like to see more back-up cameras and blind-spot vehicle detection. Her district’s 20 buses transport 2,600 of the 2,800 enrolled students in a 2.2 square mile area. “In the past nine months, 80 percent of the accidents


34 School Transportation News • NOVEMBER 2023


in my school district have been backing accidents, with improper mirror usage being the reason an object was hit. If we had back-up cameras, this would help prevent accidents,” she said. One technology option that many agree would make school buses safer is crash avoidance/mitigation tech- nology. Willie Gibbs, the senior safety manager for school bus contractor Huntington Coach, said it’s some- thing he would like see along with sleep deprivation systems installed on school buses. Technology choices abound, such as two Bendix


collision mitigation technologies. Wingman Fusion features audible and visual following distance alerts and Wingman Advanced combines adaptive cruise control, braking features, collision mitigation and Bendix ESP full stability technology. “The reason why there are two different systems is that


some states have regulations around what can go on the windshield,” noted Frederick Andersky, Bendix director of government and industry affairs, adding that some states are granting waivers. Bendix augments district training with materials for


technicians and operators. Helping operators and tech- nicians understand the technology before it is put into service increases the acceptance rate and reduces que- ries to management about what a particular sound may signify, noted T.J. Thomas, Bendix director of marketing and customer solutions for controls. Today’s safety technology popularity is driven by the


benefits derived from its use, such as reductions in rear- end accidents, rollovers and loss of control situations, Thomas explained. IC Bus manufacturers buses that use advanced tech-


nologies as standard systems. “We believe these systems are useful in improving the


performance of bus drivers, offering safer, reliable trans- portation to our communities,” said Justina Morosin, vice president and general manager of IC Bus, who demon- strated the technology in September for NBC’s TODAY. “Some Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) systems utilize connected technology, some leverage [artificial intelligence], and others rely upon autonomous while a few combine all three,” she added. IC Bus safety technologies include autonomous brak-


ing capabilities and dash integrated safety systems like the Bendix Intellipark Electronic Parking Brake System. More than 30 percent of IC Buses include active collision avoidance technology, either Bendix Wingman Ad- vanced or Bendix Wingman Fusion. When IC Bus first made the technology standard in 2018, Morosin said some bus drivers embraced it while some experienced drivers thought it to be unnecessary. Some regarded it as “big brother watching,” she added. After training and a short time using it, drivers quickly embraced it as it helps them become better behind the


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