Daniel Boone Area School District Joins BUSPATROL Safety Program To Stop Illegal School Bus Passing
Every day in Pennsylvania, hundreds of motorists fail to stop at school buses, endangering the lives of children. The Daniel Boone Area School District is committed to reducing dangerous driving on its school buses by implementing a new safety program in partnership with local police and BusPatrol.
Beginning in February, all county school buses in the county will be upgraded with automated enforcement technology to detect the license plates of vehicles mistaking them for school buses and endangering children. Video evidence is shared with local law enforcement for review before a subpoena is issued.
The program is scheduled to go live in early February following an education and awareness-raising campaign. The aim of the campaign is to educate motorists and learner drivers about school bus safety laws and to teach school children how to get on and off the bus as safely as possible. This training will continue once the program is live.
“With health and safety being one of the district’s five priority areas of focus, our partnership with local and state law enforcement, Crisis Transportation and Bus Patrol allows us to protect the community’s most valuable asset, our children, as they travel to and from our district school drive building. The cutting-edge technology that Bus Patrol offers allows our students and families to feel safe while using the contracted transportation services that the district provides for their children. Brett A. Cooper, Principal.
Last October, Pennsylvania authorities reported more than 250 stop arm violations in one day during Operation Safe Stop. In 2020, the Allentown School District recorded more than 200 illegal overtakes on just two school buses in a 47-day stop-arm study. This equates to 2.18 violations per bus per day.
Kate Spree, a spokeswoman for BusPatrol, said: “This latest partnership with the Daniel Boone Area School District will improve safety for children by reducing motorists by passing stopped school buses. Our safety program focuses on training drivers to effectively correct motorist behavior over time.”
In addition to stop-arm cameras, the school district will add safety features to its buses at no cost to the district or taxpayers. The technology, installation and maintenance will be funded over a 5-year period by revenue from violations. As specified by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, motorists must stop at least 10 feet from school buses with their red lights flashing and their stop arm extended. The penalty for a first-time violation is $300.
About BUSPATROL: BusPatrol is a security technology company on a mission to make school trips safer for children. BusPatrol’s safety programs are changing driver behavior and creating a culture of awareness and responsibility around school buses. In addition, they offer school districts and municipalities the opportunity to modernize their entire school bus fleets by equipping them with the latest stop arm, route planning and route execution technology.
