New Bus Stop Arm Technology Unveiled in Ponte Vedra to Accurately Detect Violations and Keep Students Safe

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida. – A company responsible for school bus stop arms has deployed new technology designed to accurately detect and deter violations to keep students riding the bus safe.

Safe Fleet showcased the new technology at its national launch event in Ponte Vedra Beach Sunday morning.

School safety officials said it’s not uncommon to see cars drive right in front of a school bus’s stop sign.

“You want to know what keeps us up at night? That’s it,” said Randy Wheeler, Osceola County deputy director of school bus transportation.

In fact, there are nearly 250,000 events during an average school day, according to the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services.

A figure that has pushed companies like Safe Fleet to try to find a solution.

“Today we are launching our product in our legal student transport range. So it’s called “Stop Arm Violation Enforcement System” and basically we use the latest technology, computer vision, machine learning, advanced AI and analytics to detect when vehicles illegally pass a school bus arrested,” said Safe Fleet Senior Vice. » said President Mike Hagan.

With other systems, bus drivers would have to watch cars go by, then press a button on the dashboard to even just view the video after the fact to try to enforce it. Now, with this system, this is done automatically.

The system has been tested in Osceola County, where Wheeler helps manage the technology that gets kids to and from school.

He said on just three buses they have already detected more than 500 violations since December.

“As a school bus operator, this is terrifying for us because it means all the children we herd on the side of the road are potentially in danger,” Wheeler said. “The enforcement system is an opportunity to change driver behavior and, of course, the ultimate goal is to improve student safety.”

Osceola, Collier, Lee, Alachua and Flagler counties have committed to using the SAVES system in their school districts.

Safe Fleet said she hopes many more will follow in the state and across the country.

A Florida bill says any money the district receives from traffic tickets must go back to the school district and Safe Fleet said the money can be used to cover installation of the system.