Students are the future of a nation, and ensuring their safety and security is of primary importance. Daily school commute is one aspect where student safety is a major concern, and transport managers are aware that guardians and school staff are under immense stress to ensure the same. Neither party can physically monitor them, but that is what they aspire to. So, what’s the closest alternative? This question has led to the next best innovation - real-time trip monitoring over video connectivity.
Traditional Practices Giving Way to Technology-Based Solutions
Gone are the days of transportation managers being solely responsible for the safety of school kids! Schools and transportation providers have turned to advanced technologies for enhanced security measures. One technology that has been proven to be significantly effective is video telematics. Moreover, installing AI-powered dashcams within the bus space goes beyond meeting basic security concerns, offering several other benefits.
Footage of every corner of the bus is captured in real time, and –
- Parents can monitor their wards’ activities during the commute to take any corrective steps as required
- Driver actions, in terms of risky driving behavior, can be monitored
- Any harmful incidents occurring during the journey are recorded and captured to be addressed promptly
Student safety concerns often lead to unnecessary stress levels in their parents, and live video surveillance eases the pressure significantly. Let’s take a deeper look.
Why Has Event-Based Recording Become Essential in Ensuring School Bus Safety
School administrative staff and the parents benefit immensely from the real-time video streaming of the onboard bus activities –
Live Streaming of Internal Bus Activities
By accessing the cameras installed within the bus and a secure portal, authorized school administrators can monitor the bus activities in real time. The same goes for the student guardians, who can access their ward’s behavior within the bus and easily take correct disciplinary actions.
Quick Emergency Response
Live streaming within the school buses helps concerned officials respond to emergencies swiftly and accurately. In case of any unfortunate incident or security threat, a live streaming mechanism provides critical data that might alter the outcome of the response.
Parent-School Trust Building
The presence of a video surveillance facility offers the much-needed peace of mind to parents, and in turn improves the guardians’ trust in the school authorities. Timestamped video footage provides indisputable evidence in case of any legal proceedings and can be used to verify or disprove any claims that arise.
How Does Fleetx Leverage Technology to Revolutionize Bus Fleet Safety
The school bus safety software is a robust AI-powered solution that integrates hardware and software to deliver data that empowers school bus operators and fleet managers in ensuring student safety. The system features include:
Multi-Camera Live Streaming
The 360-degree dashcam footage presents an all-round vehicle visibility, both within the bus and the exterior as well. The constant visual documentation helps in constant supervision and also serves as indisputable evidence in case of any unfortunate event. For instance, the dashcams record videos of other school buses that illegally drive past the vehicle. Such valuable video proof demonstrates that the drivers have to adhere to the compliance regulations.
24*7 Real-Time Recording
Fleet managers and parents can track in real-time or watch video playback at any time of the day, even when the buses are parked, to detect any undue occurrence.
In-Cabin Alerts
The system raises alerts in case of any suspicious driver activity, such as phone calls, smoking, yawning, distracted driving, seat belt noncompliance, or abnormal driving, before these risky practices escalate. System-generated alerts are an effective feedback for drivers, coming from an unbiased source.
2-Way Calling
Bus operators can view and listen in on the driver’s communication within the bus space and can relay instructions as and when the need arises with built-in mic and speaker features.
Decision-Making With Data Analytics
Fleet operators can derive actionable insights from the comprehensive alarm analytics, driver behavior monitoring, GPS data, and other video telematics features to make informed decisions about the school bus operation and strategize accordingly.
Challenges in Video Surveillance Implementation
A school bus tracking system is a reliable and effective source of relief for the parents, school staff, and the bus operators, but the hurdles on the way to a complete adoption of the same are -
Unwillingness Toward Embracing Technology
A GPS-enabled dashcam system often comes across as a complex and difficult solution to use for school staff as well as parents. Adequate training goes a long way to solving this issue.
Data Overload
The large volume of data gathered becomes quite a challenge for schools and transport operators to analyze, leading to delays in informed decision-making.
Unrealistic Supervisory Expectations
Parents often have unrealistic levels of expectations in terms of video surveillance and the extent of pupil management by the bus fleet operators, creating unnecessary rifts between the schools and guardians.
Data Privacy Issues
Implementing a school bus surveillance system also raises serious privacy concerns among parents, students, and the school administration, leading to student issues due to an overwhelming degree of supervision.
Maximize School Bus Safety With Fleetx
The benefits of implementing a school bus monitoring system are varied, but the associated privacy concerns are not to be taken lightly as well. Proper communication with the students goes a long way in addressing the challenge, and adequate parent-driver training combats the challenge of technology adoption.
So, investing in the right solution from the right service provider is a crucial step toward ensuring the safety and well-being of future generations.
