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Technology vs. traffic violators: R-1 school district adds stop-arm cameras to buses
NEW MADRID, Mo. — New Madrid County R-1 school bus driver Phil Newman has had many close calls.
He recalls a distracted driver speeding down Highway 61. The car veered across the center line heading into Newman’s bus before swerving back over and averting the collision.
Another driver ran a stop sign nearly colliding with his bus.
But the scariest moments for the veteran bus driver are those close calls as students are getting on or off his bus.
At one stop, he had a driver pass on the shoulder of the road as a student prepared to get off.
Another time, he said the traffic had come to a halt and several students were getting off - one heading to his home on the door side of the bus with the others preparing to cross the street.
“I looked back up and there was a car coming around another vehicle and had floored it. I laid on the horn and got the kids to stop,” Newman said.
Missouri law requires all traffic to stop when a school bus comes to a halt with its red lights on and the stop sign out.
Shaking his head, Newman continued: “Some people are in a hurry. Some people don’t seem to care. I’ve watched people from a quarter mile away never slow down when I have had the stop sign out. People don’t seem to be taking it seriously. Maybe if that was their kid, they might.”
Newman said he and the other bus drivers do everything they can to keep students safe. They watch the traffic and they keep an eye on the children not opening the bus doors until they are sure it is safe.
Now, they have another tool to use. New Madrid County R-1 School District has equipped all 40 buses in its fleet with cameras and recording devices. Two cameras are fitted outside of the bus on the door side and there is a stop-arm camera on the driver’s side of the bus.
Anthony Young, director of district operations, said every school district has a problem with stop-arm violations. While it is a traffic violation that a police officer doesn’t have to witness to issue a ticket, Young explained it is often difficult for a bus driver to observe enough details such as the make and color of the vehicle, a description of the driver and the license plate number to make a sufficient case.
Now if a bus driver observes a stop-arm violation he immediately reports it to Young, who has the driver hit a button to mark the video on the recording device. At the end of the bus route, a school resource officer will retrieve the video for viewing.
Because of the high quality of the videos, Young said they can see who is driving and easily determine the color, make and model of a vehicle.
“You can zoom in on the license plate. You can even get the expiration of the license plate. It is a really great camera system” Young said about the cameras which were put in place at the end of the 2020-21 school year.
“I would say 95 percent of the time or better it is a total accident. They didn’t see the stop-arm come out in time. They weren’t really looking for it. They aren’t paying attention. The problem is a mistake could end up costing the life of one of our students,” Young said. “We got the cameras to battle that.”
For those who it is determined unintentionally violated the stop-arm law, Young said the videos can serve as a reminder of the danger of their actions. For at least four other drivers, it has resulted in tickets.
In addition, the school district has added interior cameras to all its school buses to help ensure student safety. The interior bus cameras provide a 180-degree view from the sides and a view from the front to the back of the bus as well as audio.
He said the videos can be used to investigate reports of bullying or misbehavior on the bus. At the end of the school year, the videos helped school personnel solve a theft of another student’s property.
Also if allegations are made about a driver’s behavior, the videos would be used to investigate that as well, he said.
Walking around the school bus, Young points out the camera and explains how they will be used. As the school year begins, he said he wants drivers to be aware of the precautions the district is taking and urges them to take care when driving.
“When the amber lights are flashing that is warning you that the bus is about to pick up a student or let a student off,” he said. “When they hit their door button, that is when the red lights start flashing and when the stop arm comes out and the front arm comes out. Drivers must stop.”
He recommends drivers stop at least a car’s length away from the bus in both directions.
Even once students have gotten off, drivers should not pass the bus until the stop-arm is fully in and the lights are no longer flashing.
With some bus routes beginning as early as 6:15 a.m. and buses returning students from extra-curricular activities as the sun is setting, Young acknowledged it can be difficult to see the buses are preparing to stop.
“You always have to be looking and anticipating,” Young said. “You never can predict what a kid is going to do or which direction they are going to come from.”
Time to talk with kids about school safety
NEW MADRID, Mo. — The start of the school year is the perfect time for parents to talk with their children about staying safe on their bus ride to school, according to Anthony Young, New Madrid County R-1 director of district operations.
This year all New Madrid County R-1 School students are required to wear face masks while on the school bus. Also as they board each morning, a bus monitor will take their temperatures.
Young explained because of the confined area on a bus, the masks and the temperature checks are designed to reduce the spread of disease.
Also at the end of each route, the buses will be disinfected.
While riding on the bus, he said, students should talk in a quiet voice. Students should not put their hands out the windows.
Bus riders should never stand while the bus is operating. Also they should remain in their seats until the bus comes to a complete stop.
After a student nearly choked on a piece of candy, the district asks students not to eat or drink while riding on a bus.
Young pointed out it is a state law that no one get on a bus other than authorized school personnel and the students. He said if parents need to speak with a bus driver they should go around to the window on the driver’s side of the bus.