A metal-detecting radar sensor mounted at the front of a Cullman County Schools bus. The collision mitigation technology benefited the Alabama district before it even took possession of the bus.


who are transported by school buses, but for others in and around them.


Sensors Working in Concert Collision mitigation systems are designed to work via a network of sensors. These include wheel speed sensors that work in concert with the driver’s actions. For instance, steering-angle sensors monitor the driver’s actions of moving the bus left or right. Likewise, a sensor detects and generates feedback on vehicle direction. And they all collaborate with other sensors that are


located on the bus chassis that detect a lateral shift in either the bus’ direction or the center of gravity of the entire bus frame. Remarkably, the system detects a loss of driver control and cuts the driver’s throttle, while automatically braking


to slow the vehicle down and restore vehicle control. As complex as that sounds, all of the sensors work in


unison as a collision mitigation system to avoid crashes. That seamless system operates automatically, without any action required by the driver. Most drivers and pas- sengers don’t even know that it is installed and operating.


Trying Before Buying Jeffrey Harper is the transportation director of the


Cullman County School System, which is located about halfway between Mobile to the north and Birmingham to the south. His district owned the buses that came were delivered from Oklahoma with the newly minted collision mitigation systems. His school district now operates a fleet of 110 buses that transport 5,000 pupils each day. Of those 110 vehicles,


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