Technology Boosts School Bus Safety

>> ASIDE FROM THE CHANGES THAT ARE COMING WITH THE NEW ACADEMIC YEAR. THERE'S ALSO A TIME FOR A ROADSIDE REMINDER, ACCORDING TO A SURVEY FROM THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, THERE WERE MORE THAN 10,500 ILLEGAL PASSES OF SCHOOL BUSES DURING THE 2025. 26 SCHOOL YEAR. THAT INCLUDED OVER 3500 BUS CRASHES. WGN'S NEWS, DANA HART, THEIR SHARES, HOW LEE COUNTY OFFICIALS ARE RAISING THE STOP SIGN TO MAKE SURE ALL MORNING COMMUTES ARE SAFE. ONE. >> SCHOOL BUSES ON THE ROAD MEAN AN INCREASED FOCUS ON STUDENT SAFETY. A BIG PART OF THAT IS UP TO DRIVERS OF OTHER VEHICLES WHO MUST REMEMBER TO STOP WHEN BUS LIGHTS ARE ON AND THE ARM GOES DOWN. HERE'S LEE COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT DENISE KARLYNN. >> SO HERE'S A SIMPLE BUT IMPORTANT REMINDER AS OUR BUSES HEAD BACK OUT, WHEN YOU SEE THAT STOP ARM COME OUT IN THOSE RED LIGHTS, START FLASHING IT MEANS YOU MUST STOP. THE ONLY EXCLUSION TO THIS IS WHEN THERE IS A 5 FOOT WIDE RAISED MEDIAN BETWEEN YOU AND THE BUS. AND IF YOU'RE NOT SURE WHETHER YOU SHOULD. >> PLENTY OF PEOPLE DID NOT STOP LAST SCHOOL YEAR AND IT RESULTED IN PLENTY OF CITATIONS LAST DECEMBER. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT STARTED USING BUSPATROL WHICH USES CAMERAS TO RECORD THE VEHICLES THAT VIOLATE THOSE BUS SAFETY REGULATIONS. THOSE CAMERAS TRANSMIT THE RECORD TO LAW ENFORCEMENT RESULTING IN TICKETS THAT RUN $225 EACH. >> SINCE WE FIRST DEPLOYED BUSPATROL THE TOTAL NUMBER OF APPROVED CITATIONS IS 30,232 IN OUR FIRST SCHOOL YEAR. >> SHERIFF CARMINE MARCENO STRESSES THAT THIS ISN'T A FUNDRAISER FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT. IT'S ALL ABOUT THE SAFETY OF SCHOOL CHILDREN. >> THESE NUMBERS ARE MORE THAN STATS. >> EVERY VIOLATION REPRESENTS A CHILD THAT COULD HAVE GOD FORBID >> BEEN HIT BY A CAR. THEIR LIFE COULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN. >> AND APPARENTLY ANYONE CITED IS UNLIKELY TO DO IT AGAIN. >> SAYS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S CHIEF OF SAFETY SECURITY AND FLEET OPERATIONS. DAVID NOLAN, 90% OF DRIVERS. >> WERE CITED. NEVER DO IT AGAIN. THAT CHANGED BEHAVIOR MEAN SAFER ROADS RUN. EVERY ONE OF OUR BUS STOPS. >> DANI, WOLFE OF BUSPATROL REINFORCES THAT THE SYSTEM IS WORKING. >> WE MEASURED VIOLATIONS PER BUS PER DAY. AND SINCE DECEMBER AND THE INCEPTION OF THE PROGRAM TO MAKE THE LAST FULL BUSY MONTH OF SCHOOL. WE SAW A REDUCTION OF 30%. SO I ASK ALL OF YOU HELP US AMPLIFY THE MESSAGE THAT THIS IS A 0 TOLERANCE COUNTY FOR ILLEGAL SCHOOL BUS PASSING. >> FOR ANY DRIVERS WHO BECOME FRUSTRATED BECAUSE SUDDENLY THEIR SCHOOL BUSES TO NAVIGATE AGAIN. >> NULAND HAS SOME REASSURANCE BUSES AND DROP OFF LANES WILL BE BUSIER THAN NORMAL IN THE OPENING DAYS. WE WILL HAVE EXTRA POLICE PRESENCE OUT THERE AND PRINCIPALS AND OUT HELPING DIRECT TRAFFIC TO KEEP THINGS MOVING AND FAMILY SAFE IN THE ROUTINE. THE FIRST 2 WEEKS. >> THE OTHER QUESTION PARENTS MAY HAVE ABOUT SCHOOL BUSES IS GETTING CHILDREN TO SCHOOL ON TIME ONCE AGAIN. HERE'S SUPERINTENDENT IN EAST HARLEM LAST YEAR. >> WE'VE GOT OUR ON TIME. ARRIVALS UP TO 98%. AND THIS YEAR, WE'RE ONLY GOING TO IMPROVE UPON THAT. WE WANT 100% OF OUR BUSES ON TIME AND ON BUSES ARE RUNNING LATE. IT IMPEDES OUR ABILITY TO HAVE STUDENTS IN THEIR SEAT READY TO GO. >> ONE OF THE PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT IS FAIR. ALICE HAS BEEN A SCHOOL BUS DRIVER FOR 10 YEARS. SHE DRIVES ELEMENTARY AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. SHE WAS SURPRISED AT THE NUMBER OF VIOLATIONS. >> YOU DO SEE A LOT OF DRIVERS BLOWING THROUGH THE STOP SIGNS AS GOTTEN A LITTLE BIT BETTER, BUT THEY STILL DO IT. YOU CAN SEE THEM NOW MAY BE. HEARING ABOUT IT ARE EITHER RECEIVE IN A TICKET. THEY PAY MORE ATTENTION TO IT THAN THEY DID BEFORE. >> FOR WDSU NEWS, THIS IS DANA HERBSTER. >> HERE'S ANOTHER FUN FACT FROM THE WGCU NEWSROOM. IF YOU'RE CURIOUS WHY MAJORITY OF SCHOOL BUSES ARE YELLOW THEM. AND THE DANK IS DR. FRANK SEAR, ACCORDING TO THE SMITHSONIAN, HE PROPOSED A SINGLE STANDARD COLOR DURING A NATIONAL TEACHER'S CONFERENCE IN 1939, THE CALLER CREATED UNIFORMITY AND HELP DISTINGUISH SCHOOL BUSES FROM OTHER VEHICLES ON THE ROAD. IT ALSO MAKES THE BLACK LETTERING POP, ADDING ADDITIONAL SAFETY MEASURES FOR MORE EDUCATION FACTS. YOU CAN