As school districts and safety professionals prepare for the new school year, there are new considerations to make to ensure that all kids and transportation departments are prepared. With the new COVID-19 Delta variation causing a nationwide uptick in children and a nationwide lack of bus drivers, school district and safety leaders are in charge of considerably more than just following the customary routes. Traditional school buses are experiencing technological upgrades to keep passengers safe; however, when managing these updated linked vehicles, security considerations for student data must be considered.
Here are the most recent technological improvements in school transportation services that are helping to keep students safe on their way to and from school.
Equip school buses with stop-arm cameras
A yellow school bus, rather than walking or driving, is the safest method for students to go to and from school, according to the National Association for Pupil Transportation. However, 15 school transportation incidents occur on average each year. While it is the law for automobiles to come to a complete stop behind school buses as indicated by the stop arms, many motorists disregard this requirement in order to speed up their commute.
According to the Annual National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services study, there were nearly 17 million stop-arm infractions across the US during the 2018-2019 school year. Stop-arm camera solutions are now available that automatically record the acts of stop-arm violators and notify law enforcement, who will then issue tickets. The fines fund the technology fees, therefore some of these solutions are free to school districts. This technology provides a motivation for community drivers to respect the rules and drive cautiously around school buses.
Implement RFID and GPS capabilities
By putting rider information into the hands of the driver via tablet or mobile app with RFID and GPS capabilities, schools are incorporating ridership verification solutions to verify that children are not only on the appropriate bus but also getting off at the right stop. The bus driver receives immediate data as riders scan their RFID cards to board and exit the bus, confirming that it is the correct student, bus, and stop. Parents have full access to their children’s information. If a kid comes into touch with COVID-19 or tests positive for it, this information can help with contact tracing procedures.
Personal data is safeguarded by multi-factor authentication, as well as a technology meant to anonymize student data. The technology works by giving each student’s guardian contact a unique access code that allows them to access information via secure, password-protected mobile apps. This technical development allows parents and schools to quickly track the progress of their children’s school buses as they travel along the route. Parents will have peace of mind knowing where their children are during their journey. Parents can receive timely updates and follow the whereabouts of the bus using this GPS technology, while the student’s information is kept private.
Minimize the spread of COVID-19 and other health risks
A trip to the doctor’s office for a runny nose is no longer necessary. Sanitization in school transportation is crucial now that experts have confirmed how readily the Delta variety can impact children. When parents and teachers encourage and enforce social distancing standards and mask use, school districts and bus drivers must do vehicle safety checks before and after trips to prevent the virus from spreading while children board and disembark.
Electronic Verified Inspection Reporting (EVIR) systems make sanitization procedures easier to follow by documenting which areas are cleaned, when, and by whom. This technology also assists drivers in maintaining a cleaning regimen and documenting the disinfectant used in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. The driver can physically scan each tag once the area has been cleaned, adding proof and remarks to each inspection, by identifying the areas that need to be sanitised.
With the information gathered from these inspections, transportation organisations must still examine the technology’s security elements. District transportation directors have unique access to a fleet management portal that stores timestamps, photographs, notes, and inspection data. In addition, radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags are installed in inspection zones on the vehicle, digitally linking it to certify that its identity associated information is loaded. To ensure that no outside source can track the vehicle, this data should be kept secure in the hands of district transportation directors.
The state and federal COVID-19 rules, as well as the fact that children under the age of 12 are still ineligible to receive vaccines, make this year’s back-to-school season a little different. Regardless, school districts and security officials must play a role in ensuring the safety and security of students and their personal information, which often begins on the yellow school bus ride to and from school. Stop-arm cameras, RFID and GPS technologies, and proper electronic inspections can all help keep our students safe this school year as technology progresses.
Summing-up
The safety of school children is an unsaid necessity in the post-pandemic world. As schools prepare to reopen the school authorities and the National Association for Pupil Transportation need to implement the security measures as necessary. We at Shergroup offer professional security services like CCTV cameras, body
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