can review the footage to confirm what happened in the event of a colli- sion involving a school bus. But the rear facing camera, he said, looks at driver metrics, such as
where drivers’ lines of sight are, and sends a message to the transportation department when a driver is detected to be distracted. The cameras could capture if the driver is dozing off and will even send them a notification via an audible beep to wake them up. “If they’re not paying attention, fid- dling with the radio too long, or they’re just kind of dazed and not looking or checking their mirrors, then it will send us a notification as well as the driver,” Wardle explained of text messages and emails sent to the trans- portation department. “It’s a really neat system that we weren’t actually looking for, but we just love it. It’s a game changer.” Wardle explained that because the cameras were installed at the start of
June, details on performance during school startup are not expected until later this year. However, he said, driver reaction so far has been relativity positive.
“I think the drivers are used to it because we’ve had cameras for close to
15 years on all of our buses,” he said. “Some of the drivers are little appre- hensive, but once we explained that we’re not trying to find anything, this is just one other system to serve as a backup. There have so many drivers whose jobs have been saved from accusations.”
AI For Driver Training In addition to notifying directors and drivers of flaws when operating
a yellow school bus, the AI cameras can also help improve training, thus improving the overall safety of the vehicle. Stamper noted that the tech- nology should not be used on drivers for disciplinary actions, but instead as a tool to improve their skills. Wardle agreed, adding that Samsara cameras are a coaching tool for
their drivers. “Our overall goal is always safety, for kids on the bus and around the bus,” he said, adding that the cameras can help improve driv- ers by using it to improve some weak points. For instance, he said, they can remind drivers to check their mirrors a little more, pay a little bit more attention, don’t hit the brakes so hard, leave a little bit more of a following distance. “If we can use [the technology] to help one driver improve one area of their driving, that could potentially translate into saving lives or avoiding extra costs for collisions,” Wardle said. “Safety is our bottom-line concern, and these cameras are an added benefit, that we weren’t really looking for but I don’t think we could do without it in the future.” Stamper added that if the cameras capture a dangerous situation occur- ring, directors are given an opportunity to correct the behavior, before it becomes worse. She added that a well-documented policy is necessary on using the technology. She provided an example, of having a “perfect driver,” someone who
shows up on time, always ready to work, and with a great attitude. How- ever, she said, everyone is human and can have a bad day. She noted that the technology can help remove human error. “We need to hit that the fine line between allowing AI into our indus- try and limiting its takeover. We don’t want to lose the personal touch,” Stamper said. She noted that another way to improve driver experience and increase
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