STOP-ARM SAFETY FORUM
Reporting Violations Will Get Easier By Alicia Delgado
In 2019 , there were an estimated 115 million cars on the road per day : driving to work , school , the grocery store , the works . But nearly 100,000 of those , wherever they were heading to , illegally passed a school bus when the stop-arm was extended . According to the NASDPTS ( National Association of State Directors of Student Transportation Services ) over 95,000 cars were observed violating stop-arm laws by bus drivers from 39 states , in a single day . This 2019 data came as a shock to many , as the endangerment students face while boarding or getting off their bus is clear and staggering . But to companies like Safety Vision , a mobile video surveillance provider , these numbers only intensify their drive to create products that reduce and eliminate that risk . For nearly 30 years , Safety Vision has been providing surveillance solutions to school districts all over the country . Their solutions are founded and based upon the needs of their customers , whom they routinely communicate with . Thus , their current solution provides the technology necessary for districts to document the incident and take further legal action depending on their local legislation . And this is the standard . While many companies can provide the tools required to take legal action ( recorded video with date , time , location ) against stop-arm violators , many districts find it difficult to report the vast number of violations they witness per day to authorities , where it is then unprioritized . “ The solution works since it recreates the event that took place . The entire truth lies in the footage and all of the necessary data needed to take legal action is embedded in the video . You can even zoom in on the license plate ,” said Frank Bowden , account executive at Safety Vision , “ but that next step isn ’ t always taken . Not every single violation turns into a citation because how much is involved in the reporting process .” When you examine the numbers previously discussed , the alarming number of reports districts would have to manually document is substantial . Since Safety Vision is devoted to alleviating their clients ’ struggles , their current and paramount goal is clear : distribute a stop-arm solution that is entirely automated .
The goal is close to fruition . In Spring of 2021 , Safety Vision will release their new stop-arm solution that alleviates district officials ’ need to manually report violations . After pairing up with another vendor , Safety Vision ’ s solution will automatically manage the incidents – regardless of how many take place . Once a violation occurs , the captured video footage is immediately offloaded from an Observer Series Recorder and sent to the partner vendor . From there , the citation is built , which includes images of the vehicle , license plate , the date , time , and location of the incident , the registered vehicle owner , and the recording . After it is completed , it ’ s electronically sent to the appropriate local law enforcement agency for approval . Upon approval , the citation is automatically mailed to the violator who can then pay the fine by mail or on the website . But the automated process is not even the best part . The fact that the entire system can be monitored and observed by the local districts is . From the moment the footage is offloaded from the recorder , districts have access to a dashboard that shows exactly where the violation stands , step by step and minute by minute . It is a transparent way of relieving their struggle but still ensuring the violation is getting taken care of . Though stop-arm violations are a rapid and daily occurrence , Safety Vision is confident that their new solution will not only reduce , but eventually diminish the event all together . “ It ’ s creating accountability . The more school districts have technology that can not only capture the violation , but also report and deliver the citation for them , the more people get caught . The more violators receive citations , the less likely they are to illegally pass a bus ,” said Frank Bowden , who is confident in the new wave of safety arising . Equally eager to enhance safety in the school bus industry in a way that has never been done before , Safety Vision is rolling out their last finishing touches on the solution . Keep your eyes out ; reporting violations is about to get much easier .
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