New National Survey Highlights Problem of School Bus Stop Arm Running
Tempe, AZ. – A new survey, just released by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS), found that more than 108,000 school bus drivers reported that 85,279 private vehicle drivers passed their buses illegally in one day during their annual survey. These staggering numbers highlight the dangers school children face every day from drivers who illegally pass school buses with their stop arm deployed. In releasing the report, NASDPTS stresses the need for a comprehensive approach to solving this traffic danger, including education, engineering and enforcement.
A video with examples of school bus stop arm violations captured by ATS CrossingGuard® cameras can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOrtK55HXXc&feature=youtu.be
American Traffic Solutions (ATS) has partnered with several school districts throughout the country to provide its CrossingGuard® School Bus Stop Arm Safety Camera System. Many of those districts are reporting dramatic decreases in the number of vehicles illegally passing stopped school buses, reducing the risk of serious injury and in the worst case fatalities.
- In Cobb County School District, the number of vehicles illegally passing stopped school buses is down 50 percent, from about 1,800 in 2012 to 900 with CrossingGuard® cameras in use.
- Similar results are found in Muscogee County School District, which reported nearly 300 stop-arm violations in 2011, but only 142 in 2012 with CrossingGuard® cameras in place, a 52.6 percent decrease.
According to NASDPTS, in 2012, 88,025 illegal passes were recorded. In 2011, 76,685 illegal passes were documented. This year’s total, when applied to a 180-day school year, points to more than 15 million violations nationwide. Nationally, vehicles passing school buses caused the death of 467 students getting on or off school buses since 1970, accounting for 39 percent of all school bus loading and unloading fatalities.
The CrossingGuard® School Bus Stop Arm Safety Camera System mounts purpose-built cameras on the side of the school bus to monitor the illegal passing of a parked school bus with its flashing stop arm extended. When the stop arm is deployed, the camera automatically detects a vehicle illegally passing in either direction and captures high-resolution images and video. Violation data, including GPS coordinates, date, time and more, are automatically embedded into the evidence package that is wirelessly transmitted to ATS’ violation processing system, where the images can be reviewed and approved by law enforcement, resulting in the issuance of a citation to the owner of the violating vehicle.
Along with providing equipment and training, ATS provides its customers with unparalleled communications and public awareness support for their program, including video PSA’s, web banners for social media sites, place mats, public opinion polling and monitoring opinion articles. ATS offers these services because of its commitment to raise public awareness for the need to improve driver behavior.
About American Traffic Solutions:
ATS is proud to be the market leader in road safety camera installations in North America. ATS has more than 3,200 installed red-light, speed safety cameras and school bus stop arm cameras serving more than 30 million people. ATS Fleet Services is a leader in providing both Toll and Violation Management Solutions to fleets and rental customers saving them time and money. For more information, please visit: www.atsol.com. ATS can also be found on Twitter, @ATS_Roadsafety; Facebook, ATSolutions; and YouTube, ATSROADSAFETY.
Contact: Charles Territo
Title: Senior Vice President of Public Affairs
and Marketing, Communications
Phone: (480) 443-7000
Email: media@atsol.com
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