The Importance of Real-Time Information for School Bus Fleet Management
In the past technology limitations kept student transportation departments from gaining real-time data about their fleet operations. Today, software can provide immediate insight on what is happening on any vehicle on the road and allow live video streaming from the bus. Those school districts that use fleet management solutions [...]
Dealing with Difficult Passengers on Board: Strategies, Practices, and Resources
Approximately 2,000 assaults against transit operators happen in Canada each year, says a report published by the Canadian Urban Transit Association. Drivers in the USA are under the same risk of violent attacks. As the government, transit agencies, and transportation associations work to improve the situation, we would like [...]
5 Lessons Learned: Using Cameras to Capture School Bus Stop-arm Violations
Over 24 states have now introduced or have pending laws authorizing the use of video cameras on the outside of school buses to identify stop-arm violators. But rolling out a stop-arm camera program can be tricky and time-consuming. So we thought we’d share five lessons we’ve learned from working [...]
The Bus Operator Toolbox: Conflict Resolution and Communication Strategies That Can Save Lives (Part 2)
Today we are glad to present the second part of our interview with Bill Parsons, a recognized expert and trainer in personal safety, who shares the best strategies and techniques for prevention of on-board assaults. How can you assess when the conflict can be prevented and when it’s too late? [...]
The Bus Operator Toolbox: Conflict Resolution and Communication Strategies That Can Save Lives (Part 1)
When we launched our Stop Violence Against Drivers campaign, many customers mentioned the importance of good bus driver training to help prevent on-board assaults. Today we have a very special guest on our blog – Bill Parsons, a recognized expert and trainer in personal safety, self-defense, and tactical communication, [...]
5 Great Ways to Protect Bus Operators from Assaults
With the increased number of crimes on transit vehicles, protection of bus operators from violence has become one of the top priorities for transit agencies. Assaults cause physical injuries and an increased level of stress for the driver, as well as have a financial impact on the transit system [...]
How School Bus Cameras Can Help in Accident Reconstruction
It was a regular Wednesday afternoon for Clayton County bus driver Terry Pettiford, who had just dropped the children off after a volleyball game and was coming back to the bus yard. She was driving down Panhandle Road when all of a sudden a red car crossed the center [...]
8 Telltale Signs You Need to Replace Your School Bus Camera System
Cameras have been recording student and driver behavior on school buses for more than a decade, but if you still have some of that older technology on your bus it’s probably time to swap it out. Anyone in school transportation knows that the school bus is not a friendly [...]
Calculating the ROI of Transit Security: A Step-by-step Guide
Passenger & driver safety and security is at the core of every successful transit system operation. But when it comes time to cough up the money to upgrade camera equipment or add more camera views, it can often be difficult to secure funding. Many transit agencies find the need [...]
6 Proven Steps to a Successful Stop-arm Enforcement Program
In 2013, twenty-nine participating states reported a whopping 85,279 vehicles illegally passing the school bus in a single day, according to an annual survey organized by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS). Many school districts have started investigating stop-arm camera technology to stem this [...]
How to Avoid Getting Swamped with Requests for Bus Surveillance Video
For a lot of urban transit systems, the volume of requests from law enforcement for bus surveillance video to aid in criminal investigations can be overwhelming. And even worse, the process you have to go through to locate relevant video is often time-consuming — but it doesn't have to be. [...]
Stop-arm Camera Enforcement Program Success Stories (Part 4)
In Part 4 of our stop-arm camera customer success stories we talk with Tom Oestreich, Transportation Director at Bloomington School District in Minnesota, about his stop-arm camera ‘sting’ operation. Part 4: Minnesota School District Works with Law Enforcement to Mount Stop-arm ‘Sting’ Operation Tom ‘Ace’ Oestreich Transportation Director | [...]
Stop-arm Camera Enforcement Program Success Stories (Part 3)
In Part 3 of our stop-arm camera customer success stories we go to Medical Lake, WA to find out about how the school district’s transportation department uses stop-arm camera footage and works with law enforcement to ensure prosecution. Part 3: School District Works With Law Enforcement to Issue Stop-arm [...]
Top 8 Ways Wireless Video Downloading can Actually Save you Money
Installing a bus camera system is an important step towards improved passenger and driver safety, but many organizations find retrieving and managing the video footage more of a challenge than they bargained for. Although you may want to avoid the initial expense of investing in a wireless network infrastructure [...]
Stop-arm Camera Enforcement Program Success Stories (Part 2)
In Part 2 of our stop-arm camera customer success stories we interviewed a Canadian School District in Wainwright, AB, who began testing Seon’s new stop-arm camera system in January of 2013. Transportation Director Chrysti Mannix gave us some insight on how she used footage from her new stop-arm camera [...]
Stop-arm Camera Enforcement Program Success Stories (Part 1)
Stop-arm violations continue to be a problem. Some school districts venture to say that vehicles that are illegally passing school buses are the #1 threat to student safety. According to the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation (NASDPTS) 2nd annual stop-arm survey in 2013, 88,025 vehicles passed [...]
