Actively Monitoring Driver Behavior Can Prevent School Bus Accidents

The safety of students while they ride school buses is imperative to everyone involved in the education system; from the board members who make far-reaching decisions to the parents who entrust the well-being of their children to strangers daily. Unfortunately, not every piece within the system operates with the students’ safety at the forefront of their mind.

The stakes are high when it comes to transportation and lives can potentially hang in the balance, depending on how bus drivers operate their vehicles. When things aren’t done the proper way and when procedures aren’t followed, the results can be catastrophic.

Recently, a Tennessee bus driver was responsible for the deaths of five students, the death of another person, and several other injuries. The accident was the direct result of the bus driver exceeding safe speed limits, endangering the safety of all of the thirty-five passengers on board. This instance of unsafe driving was not the driver’s first offense; students have complained to their parents about the driver’s dangerous speeding practices before the accident. Knowing that students alerted parents about the driver’s speeding numerous times begs the question: Could this accident have been avoided?

Yes.

Alerts Keep Administrators Aware

Had the driver’s behavior been tracked prior to the accident, the entire event could have potentially been prevented. Actsoft’s Comet Fleet software provides the ability to establish pre-set speed-limit ranges drivers must adhere to. Should the speed range be exceeded, an alert is triggered and reported to the driver’s manager, providing the opportunity for correction. Comet Fleet also has the ability to inform administrators of when doors are opened, or when stop arms are opened and activated, painting an accurate picture of what’s happening on board buses during their routes.

Noting the Patterns

Actsoft brings more to the table than speed parameters drivers should adhere to. The technology makes it possible to monitor historical driver behaviors and tendencies. This data sheds light on the patterns people establish as they operate the buses. Understanding driver behaviors makes it possible to praise safe, efficient drivers, ultimately using them as the gold standard for others to follow.

We Aren’t New to This

Actsoft has an established history of working with transportation in the education industry. For instance, Actsoft’s Comet Fleet provided the Floyd County School District solutions to the challenges they faced when it came to monitoring their bus drivers’ behaviors.  Floyd County needed a software that could promote communication and accountability in their drivers; Actsoft software provided just that.

The Comet Fleet software addressed several other issues they had with their fleet. GPS tracking, dispatching, and landmark functionalities greatly improved their routing system. The technology keeps administrators aware of exactly what’s going on with their buses and should an issue arise, they can now quickly respond accordingly.

The solutions provided for Floyd County may have been able to prevent the tragedy in Tennessee, simply by providing more clarity when it came to the habits of school bus operators. For more information on what specifically Actsoft can do in regards to fleet management and driver behavior, take a look at this case study.

Monitoring a school bus driver’s practices ensures that irresponsible driving practices can be rectified before they become a larger problem. In this industry, students are precious cargo and their safe delivery to-and-from their destinations should always be the top priority. There must be measures taken in order to protect the children and, in turn, protect our future.

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