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School is in session.
Students across Ontario have headed back for yet another academic year. And yes, that means school buses are back too.
Each day during the school year, the province sees over 833,000 students transported by a fleet of more than 18,000 bus drivers. These are big numbers.
Today we’ll explore a list of innovative products that can enhance bus safety and ensure the protection of all those on the road.
Improving School Bus Safety and Efficiency with Vehicle Tracking
A school bus travels approximately 1.8 kilometres daily– that’s a lot of ground to cover!
With vehicle tracking vehicles, fleet managers can monitor school buses in real-time, allowing them to gather an accurate picture of where vehicles and students are at every stop along the route.
This information can be used to increase safety by providing more accurate estimates of when buses will arrive at stops, as well as increasing overall efficiency by allowing managers to better plan routes and anticipate problems before they arise.
Geotab’s GO9 Vehicle Tracking Device is one of the latest and greatest vehicle tracking devices to hit the market. Featuring a 32-bit processor, a gyroscope and more RAM and memory, the compact vehicle tracking device is able to provide users with up-to-the-minute information on a variety of metrics.
How can Geotab’s GO9 help school bus fleets?
The Geotab GO9 device is a compact, portable piece of hardware that plugs into the OBD II port of your vehicle. Once plugged in, Geotab GO9 begins recording rich data on vehicle location, speed, engine idling and more– all while ensuring maximum security.
The small but superior device includes all sorts of features that prioritize driver and student safety, from creating optimal routes to save you time and money to in-vehicle coaching aimed at continuously improving your driving behaviour through real-time feedback and tips.
Benefits of Geotab GO9 for School Buses
Accurate Vehicle Tracking
With Geotab GO9, there’s never any guesswork involved.
The system provides accurate vehicle tracking, so you never have to wonder where your vehicles are or why they’re running late. Whether your drivers are on a highway or stuck in traffic, you can rest assured that the GO9 will provide the information needed to keep your fleet running smoothly and efficiently.
Featuring Geotab’s new Global Navigation Satellite System module (GNSS), the GO9 provides faster latch times and increasingly accurate data, making it easier than ever to monitor your fleet with a higher degree of precision. Even if the bus is parked indoors or underground, GPS vehicle tracking, and telematics will begin recording as soon as you start driving.
Secured data
The Geotab GO9 vehicle tracking system is more than just a way to monitor your fleet. It's also a secure platform that ensures your data is always protected. Geotab uses authentication, encryption, and message integrity verification for all vehicle tracking devices and network interfaces.
Each device has a unique ID and non-static security key, making it incredibly difficult to fake a device’s identity. In addition, each device utilizes over-the-air updates that use digitally signed firmware to verify that updates always come from a trusted source.
Collision detection and notification
Ensuring the safety of your school bus and all those inside is paramount. That’s why Geotab offers exceptional harsh-event data (acceleration, braking, cornering, etc.) and collision reconstruction through its patented algorithms and the GO device’s accelerometer.
In the event that a collision is suspected, detailed forensic data will be automatically uploaded from the device to allow for forensic reconstruction of the event. The data provides valuable insight into driver behaviour and can help determine if the driver was at fault.
Vehicle Health Assessments
A bus breakdown can be costly and time-consuming.
Geotab GO9 is a powerful device that helps you keep your school buses on the road by providing real-time engine diagnostics and preventive maintenance schedules. This way, you can avoid breakdowns before they happen.
Recording valuable data like the VIN, odometer, and engine faults not only helps prioritize vehicle maintenance, but it helps audit vehicle use to identify both safe and risky driving habits.
Avoid Collisions with Obstacle Detection Systems
Large vehicles are at a disadvantage when it comes to blind spots.
And with more students crossing streets and riding their bikes this month, addressing blind spots becomes even more important.
Mirrors only provide a limited view of the road, and children can easily slip in front of or behind large vehicles without being seen.
That’s where obstacle detection systems come in. By using sensors such as cameras, lidars and radars to perceive the surroundings they’re able to provide backward, left, right, and forward collision warnings.
And none do it quite like Brigade’s Sidescan® Predict. The next generation of side-detection sensor systems, the game-changing device is designed for collision avoidance between road vehicles, objects, and vulnerable road users.
How can Brigade Sidescan® Predict help fleets?
Utilizing ultrasonic technology, Brigade Sidescan® can predict the risk of a collision and provide the appropriate warning, according to the urgency of the situation.
Comprised of six ultrasonic sensors, the device is able to analyze the speed, direction, and acceleration of both the vehicle and the detected object, as well as differentiate between static and moving objects.
Benefits of Sidescan® Predict for School Buses
Reduces false alarms & increases the accuracy of the warning
With Sidescan® Predict, drivers can rely on having the most accurate side-collision warning system in the industry. With the chance of false alarms significantly reduced, drivers can stay focused on what's ahead of them.
The detection data feeds an algorithm to calculate the risk level, which sends the appropriate warning– minimizing the number of audible alerts and reducing false alarms.
Always Active
It doesn’t matter if you’re driving at 40 mph or 100 mph, Brigades Sidescan® Predict is always working to help you avoid collisions.
With or without the indicators activated, the system is in constant operation below 20 mph. This means that even when you're not using your turn signals, the Sidescan® Predict system is still scanning for objects up to 8.2 ft. from the side of the vehicle that may pose a risk to you and your passenger’s safety.
Trust DiCAN for School Bus Safety Solutions
At DiCAN, we’re serious about safety.
That's why we offer a full line of collision avoidance and fleet management systems designed for all industries and vehicles, from small to large.
Contact us today to learn more about how our safety solutions can help your fleet.
