In one of our last blogs, we spoke broadly about Global Positioning Systems (GPS) — what it is and how it can impact your student transportation operation. The safety of your students is your top priority and GPS functions as a safety assurance mechanism on school buses; identifying unsafe driving behaviors so they can be remedied.
GPS-equipped school buses report on singular vehicle data and overall fleet performance. You can also:
- View routes as they happen — see actual routes taken, compared with planned routes;
- Examine bus stops — how long the buses wait at each stop and how long doors remain open;
- Develop a clear picture of driver habits and performance — learning aggressive driving behaviors like ‘jack-rabbit starts’ or sudden stops.
All of this information means nothing if you do not act to improve safety. You can identify weaknesses and develop training to enhance safety performance, or pinpoint ways to enhance student safety on routes. For example, route review gives you an understanding of environmental issues: dangerous neighborhoods, train tracks or highway proximity, or permanent detours.
Another student safety concern relates to parent inquiries; they want to know where their child’s bus is at any given time. And just like at Xenia Community Schools, allaying parent’s concerns with swift, correct information builds trust and confidence within the school district community.
The job of keeping students safe falls on all of us and GPS-enabled buses eases safety monitoring.