You May Want to Rethink Driving Around That Stopped School Bus Next Time
March 9, 2022
When we go for our driving test, we’re all told to never drive around a parked school bus, as it increases the risk of colliding with a student getting off the bus at their stop. Unfortunately, not all drivers obey this and will instead drive around a parked school bus even though it has its stop sign out. Well, moving forward if you do this, you could be turned in by the bus company.
Pittsburgh Public Schools Could be Implementing a New System to Capture Negligent Drivers
In an effort to decrease the number of drivers who illegally pass a parked school bus, the Pittsburgh Public School system is considering implementing an artificial intelligence system that would capture information from any vehicle that illegally passes a stopped school bus similarly to a traffic cam.
The schools are thinking of partnering up with BusPatrol, a tech company that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to educate students on how to get to and from school safely. The Virginia-based tech company recently opened an office in Allentown, PA, however, this decision wasn’t random; Tragically, the town of Allentown, PA has suffered more than 136,000 school bus-related injuries over the past 10 years. Even worse, the town has suffered more than 1,000 school bus-related deaths during the same timeframe.
BusPatrol has already been working with many school districts in Pennsylvania. If the public schools in Pittsburgh decide to move forward, BusPatrol would install software on all of their buses that would automatically monitor and capture the bus’ surroundings.
How Would the New System Work?
Once the vehicle passes by the bus, the device would capture video of the transgression and record the vehicle’s license plate number and other pertinent information. Once captured, the evidence would then be turned over to local law enforcement for them to approve the citation. From there, BusPatrol prints the ticket and mails it to the negligent driver.
According to data recorded by BusPatrol, the program has been proven to increase safety since over 90% of drivers don’t become repeat offenders. A lot of this has to do with the fact that once drivers have been issued a ticket, they can see a video recording of themselves passing by the bus online.
If the system is approved, a large portion of the ticket revenue is returned to the school. This has created some hesitation, though. School board member, Pam Harbin isn’t sure this tactic is the right way to go about improving bus safety. When asked about her strong reaction to the proposal, Harbin said, “I would rather have months and months of education and pay for that to improve behavior rather than saying we’re going to harm people in a different way.”
Jean Souliere, the CEO and founder of BusPatrol issued a counterargument, stating that drivers are not at risk of getting points on their license, nor will their insurance rates be affected. If necessary, offending drivers may even be able to utilize a payment plan if they are issued a fine. However, failure to pay the fine could result in loss of driving privileges.
Time will tell whether this new system will be implemented, but if so, it sounds like it would decrease the number of bus-related accidents and injuries.
Contact A Pittsburgh Personal Injury Lawyer To Discuss Your School Bus Accident Case In Pennsylvania
Did you or a loved one sustain serious injuries due to a school bus accident in Pennsylvania? Don’t let the medical bills pile up while you wait for the negligent party or their insurance company to do the right thing. Right now, you need an aggressive personal injury attorney on your side, fighting to get you the compensation you need, want, and deserve. The skilled attorneys at Goodrich & Geist, P.C. represent clients injured because of bus accidents in Pittsburgh and the surrounding Western PA counties. Call (412) 766-1455 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free consultation about your case. We have an office conveniently located at 3634 California Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15212. Home visits can be arranged in certain situations.
The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.
