“ Dan is a very creative guy , and an entrepreneur ,” Stauffer said . “ He is really good at finding problems and creating resolutions . I saw his passion and wanted to be a part of developing this innovation , partly due to my wife being a teacher and our own passion for child safety .” Thompson used his firsthand knowledge of the school bus industry when developing the stop-arm extension , and said he wanted the resulting product to be feasible for as many districts as possible . As such , he designed the system with easy installation , long life , and a low price point in mind . At $ 400 per unit , Thompson wanted districts to outfit entire fleets without being financially hamstrung . Sometimes , this means that BusGates works with districts to create payment plans and lease-toown deals . Thompson said he would rather have entire district fleets outfitted at lower costs , versus only allowing districts to equip one or two vehicles . “ Many districts and contractors are working with limited funds and limited mechanics ,” he said . “ The low price was important to us , but so was the installation process . I built the extension so that it does not change the school bus ’ s structural integrity . Once you compromise the side of a bus with too many screws , it creates a crumple zone in the effect of a side-impact .”
The polycarbon extension attaches to a stop sign with three screws before plugging into the vehicle ’ s power source . Each system takes about 15 minutes to install . “ The polycarbon design is very important to the system ’ s useable life ,” Thompson said . “ If a car does hit the arm , its flexibility means it will not fly off and cause serious damage . The composition means it does not rust or fade , whether in the hot weather of Phoenix or the chills of Canada .”
Illinois HB2584 The big challenge , Thompson said , is that although BusGates technology is federally approved to be on every bus in the U . S . ( through the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards [ FMVSS ] 49 CFR 571.131 ), most states have their own regulations , and most districts have their own equipment procurement processes . After developing , patenting , and bringing BusGates to market , Thompson said he began reaching out to his Illinois legislative contacts in 2019 , with the goal of jumpstarting a pilot program for stop-arm extension technology . Thompson approached Illinois State Representative Mike Murphy , a longtime acquaintance of Stauffer .
16 | SCHOOL-BUSRIDE . COM | AUGUST 2021