More School Buses To Have Cameras To Catch Stop-Arm Violators
The first day of school is just around the corner. For fleets of school buses across Minnesota, new stop arm camera technology is set to make that new beginning safer.
“It’s an exciting time of the year,” said Courtney Smith, location safety coordinator at First Student Bus Co. in Brooklyn Park.
“The kids have had the summer off, so we have to get them back into the routine and back into the swing of things,” Smith said.
For young families, that new start can also be scary.
Jennifer Doyle, safety manager at First Student, said that’s where safety precautions come in for families and drivers. State law requires drivers to stop 20 feet from a school bus with red flashing lights or when the stop arm is extended. The flashing lights mean that students are crossing the road.
“Once the vehicle comes to a full stop and the stop arm deploys and the red lights activate, that means all traffic should be stopping,” Doyle said.
The Minnesota State Patrol collects data on stop-arm violations. The State Patrol’s website said law enforcement cited 4,652 drivers for those violations from 2017 to 2021.
“It is unfortunately a very common problem. We have hundreds of violations that occur any given day across the state of Minnesota,” Doyle said.
Twenty-seven schools will receive grants from the state of Minnesota to add stop-arm cameras to buses. The camera will capture the driver, car and license plate to identify violators.
A school bus stop-arm camera like this one captures a photo of drivers who illegally pass. Twenty-seven schools and transportation companies earned grants to install these cameras, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.
Communities Keeping Kids Safe
According to First Student, the cameras are a precaution to keep some of our smallest learners safe.
“If you picture a kindergartener next to a bus, you can’t really see them if they get too close. So, reminding students to stay 12 feet back and follow the instructions of their driver,” Doyle said.
Drivers and students are responsible for safety on the bus. Community members play an equally powerful role.
“The community needs to know that as well, get the big picture. Make sure they share the road with us. Because it’s a big community and we need to share and work together,” Smith said.
The first face kids see on that first day are likely their bus drivers. Doyle said at First Student, which serves many students in the Osseo School District, kids are in good hands.
“School bus transportation is the safest form of transportation available,” Doyle said.
School buses are heavily regulated and highly visible. The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that less than 1% of all traffic fatalities involve children on school buses.
Drivers in Brooklyn Park have been practicing their routes in preparation for the school year. Technicians are also working to ensure the buses are safe and ready to go.
Doyle said First Student is still seeing a bus driver shortage, but it’s much better than in previous years.
She assures parents that there will be a bus there to pick up their student each morning.
