In 2020, Zonar unveiled an exclusive partnership with BusPatrol, the leading innovator in stop-arm enforcement technology. This collaboration marks a significant commitment to prioritize the safety of our most precious passengers – students. Together, we are dedicated to ensuring the well-being of student riders by equipping school bus fleets with cutting-edge stop-arm enforcement technology and intelligent fleet management solutions.
The Student Safety Imperative: Protecting Our Youngest Passengers
Safety is paramount when it comes to student transportation, and our partnership with BusPatrol takes this commitment to a whole new level. The School Bus Stop-Arm Safety Program is at the forefront of safeguarding students from dangerous stop-arm violations.
Passing a school bus when its stop-arm is extended can have devastating consequences, potentially costing a young life. Shockingly, during the 2018-2019 school year, there were over 17 million stop-arm violations in the United States, a staggering increase of 2 million from the previous year. Of particular concern, the most vulnerable age group to these violations is children aged 4 to 7 years old.
The Zonar and BusPatrol school bus stop-arm safety program tackles this issue head-on by identifying and educating drivers about the inherent dangers of disregarding an extended stop-arm.
Enhancing Student Safety Through Technology
BusPatrol’s comprehensive stop-arm enforcement solution comprises state-of-the-art hardware, software, rigorous processes, and the expertise of trained safety professionals. Here’s how it works:
- Cameras are strategically installed on school buses to capture illegal stop-arm violations from various angles and depths.
- BusPatrol’s safety experts analyze the footage, along with GPS and timecode data, transmitted securely through an encrypted cellular network to BusPatrol’s cloud system.
- An evidence package is then forwarded to law enforcement for their approval.
- Offenders receive citations for their violations.
- This seamless safety enforcement program empowers school officials to instigate a positive change in their communities’ driving culture. Furthermore, it allows school bus drivers to concentrate on their precious cargo and the road, with the confidence that stop-arm camera technology is capturing vital information about violators.
A Holistic Approach to Safety
The BusPatrol safety program goes beyond merely enforcing stop-arm violations. It also encompasses route planning and execution through the integration of smart fleet management solutions. This comprehensive approach ensures the maximum safety and efficiency of school bus fleets.
In line with our shared mission to protect student riders, Zonar and BusPatrol provide an array of additional safety measures, including internal safety cameras, telemetry, electronically verified COVID-19 sanitization protocols, AI-assisted school driver coaching, touchless rider visibility, driver tablets, mobile apps, live streaming, panic alerts, and more. These cutting-edge technologies enable school districts to streamline processes, collect invaluable data, and make students’ journeys to and from school as safe as possible.
Equitable Access to Safety Technology
Our commitment to student safety extends to every corner of the country. We firmly believe that every student rider should have access to the comprehensive safety technology suite available through BusPatrol’s safety programs, regardless of their location. Whether children reside in densely populated urban areas with frequent stop-arm violations or in rural areas with fewer infractions, they all deserve protection through stop-arm enforcement technology.
Empowering Those in Charge
However, monitoring a fraction of a school’s fleet is insufficient for making informed safety decisions. To ensure the utmost safety, a full-fleet approach is indispensable. Through the power of data, BusPatrol and Zonar empower school and municipal officials with the insights needed to create a safer, more secure, and efficient pupil transportation system.
Transforming Driving Culture
Our collective efforts aim to change motorist behavior around school buses and foster a safer driving culture. Full-fleet deployment of stop-arm cameras, coupled with targeted public service announcements and safety campaigns, sends a powerful message that illegally passing a school bus will result in a citation being mailed to violators.
Efficiency and Safety: A Unified Solution
Every school district strives to protect its students, but budget constraints and limited resources often make it challenging to invest in cutting-edge safety technology. Our partnership solves the perennial dilemma of choosing between efficiency and safety.
This innovative, safety-first model ensures that school transportation officials no longer need to make that difficult choice. Importantly, the program is entirely funded by violators, eliminating the need for capital investment from our program partners, municipalities, or taxpayers. When stop-arm violators pay their fines, they contribute to the procurement, maintenance, and management of all safety technology, along with the underlying human resources and processes that drive the program.
BusPatrol bears the financial risk for the partnership’s safety technology and program maintenance. Even if your district never issues a single ticket, your fleet will still benefit from the holistic safety technology suite provided by the program. Many districts are already leveraging these technologies to safeguard student riders and enhance efficiency, all without tapping into their existing funds.
The partnership between Zonar and BusPatrol is not only revolutionary but also laser-focused on one paramount objective: student safety. By leveraging state-of-the-art technology, educational initiatives, and a comprehensive approach, we are working tirelessly to ensure the protection and well-being of student riders.
