School buses are bound by law to meet all established federal regulations. Under the law, school buses are the safest means of transportation for children/students.
Each country has its own set of established safety principles and standards for maintaining the safety of school vehicles. For instance, in the United States, school buses are designed as per the standards set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to ensure comprehensive safety for occupants, including students, teachers/support staff, and drivers.
As per the global roads and transport authorities, school buses are regulated to comply with:
Installing proper mirrors on either side of the vehicles for a 360-degree view.
The maximum speed limit of 50 miles per hour on highways and 55 miles per hour on interstate highways.
Secure electric door closing & opening mechanism (under driver control) coupled with auto-open/close option in case of emergencies.
Speed control devices to ensure end-to-end compliance as per safety standards.
Proper light indicators (yellow, red, and other lights) for alerting the neighboring vehicles.
Non-slippery rubber mat covering the school vehicle floor for occupant’s safety.
Best practices to improve student safety while transiting on a school bus:
Parents are a critical piece of the safety puzzle. To improve students’ safety, parents are required to educate their children with essential rules of safety. Some safety tips that parents can give to their younglings include:
Request children to reach the bus stop 5 to 10 minutes early for timely pickup.
Use handrails while getting on or getting down from the bus.
Fasten seat belts before the bus gets in motion
Educate children with basic traffic rules and familiarize them with their concerned bus stops
Request their kids to go to their seats directly after boarding the bus
In case any object falls out of the bus, children should ask the driver to collect it and hand it over to them.
Educate kids to discuss with their parents or school management in case of any violation committed by other students or drivers.
Teach children to stand a few meters away from the road and board the bus after it comes to a complete halt.
With rising incidents of mishaps, drivers are exacted to comply with the regulations by the book. Some crucial tips to ensure the safety of students, support staff, vehicles, and self include:
Ensure the school bus is parked in a safe area.
Make sure the school vehicle is equipped with numerous safety features but is not limited to only cross-view mirrors, fire extinguishers, and emergency exits.
Pre-trip and post-trip inspection by the driver or school safety inspector to check vehicle operational capabilities.
Integrated crash standards and rollover protection features.
Before commencing the trip, educate the occupants about the safety tips such as seat belt reminder, exit signs, and others.
School management is expected to analyze the latest rules and suggestions given by the concerned transportation authorities and implement them thoroughly.
Integrate advanced tech like AI (Artificial Intelligence) into their system to avoid thefts and ensure operational efficiency.
Only hire authorized drivers and equip them with dedicated credentials to access (enter and exit) the school premises.
Ensure the presence of the staff during school vehicle transit.
Specialized training to drivers for handling buses/vehicles and on-board tech/specialized equipment.
How to enhance the student’s safety apart from the above tips?
Technology has a proven record of efficiently centralizing processes. Thus, meeting user or establishment expectations. Schools can install geo-fencing and combi-booster rear transmitter devices to provide secure building access for vehicles to enter and exit as per school timings.
Powered with the right software, schools can manage tedious tasks such as trip tracking, fare collection, ad-hoc/unplanned trips, tracking students, and much more seamlessly.
As a member of the school management, how can you get started with acquiring such a critical platform?
Since safety is the core expectation of parents, students, and country authorities, schools should only settle for the best. TurnkeyTown has been turning heads with its advanced school bus tracking app development solutions where school management, parents, and drivers are equipped with smart apps integrated with intelligent features.
The application (running on iOS, Android, and web platforms) can help school authorities and parents track their students and vehicles in real-time. Moreover, drivers can utilize the in-app navigation to ply on approved routes and pick up (and even drop off) students from the designated stops. The company also assists with acquiring the right hardware, including GPS devices, geofencing equipment, and others.
Schools and educational institutions are judged on the basis of quality education and student safety. TurnkeyTown helps you master the latter with a smart school bus tracking software designed as per the school/educational institution’s requirements.
