Knowing the location of every bus in your fleet is important for any student transportation provider. It gives you greater peace of mind while also helping boost student safety. Between 2013 and 2022, 9% of injuries in school bus crashes were to either the bus drivers or students.
It’s important to find ways to reduce accidents. In this article, we look at how school bus tracking software can help do that.
Speed Tracking
While school districts do their best they can to recruit bus drivers who meet the qualifications, reckless driving can still be a challenge. Reckless driving poses threats to student safety and other people on the road as well.
Additionally, such incidents can greatly mar parent trust, leading to fewer people choosing to send their children to school on yellow buses. School bus GPS tracking software can help reduce reckless driving in the following ways:
- Increased Accountability: Since drivers know that every move they make is documented by their school district, they’re more likely to follow road rules to avoid getting into trouble.
- Enhance Resource Allocation: Rogue drivers may not be why school buses are speeding. It may just come down to your drivers being overworked and trying to pick up every student on time for school. Monitoring this can help you determine if it’s better to split a route between multiple buses.
Location Data
Knowing where your buses are at all times can give you greater peace of mind. This data helps school districts by ensuring smooth operations, faster emergency responses, and improved safety for students and staff. Here’s how it can help:
- Damage Control: In the case of an accident, it’s important to know the exact location of the bus to allow emergency services to get there faster. Additionally, if something goes wrong, your transportation team will know immediately, allowing them to take action.
- Theft Prevention: While school buses are not usually stolen because of how high-profile they are, it’s not impossible. There have been three instances of school bus theft between 2020 and 2023; however, all buses were recovered quickly using GPS tracking software.
- Safer Routes: GPS tracking software also shows data on which routes have hazards or traffic congestion. This helps boost operating efficiency while also improving safety at school districts.
Parent App
The most robust student transportation platform solutions also offer a parent app that has an array of features. Apart from improved two-way communication, these apps can help in several ways:
- Real-Time Location: Parents can track bus locations using an app to get live updates on when to expect their children to be picked up or dropped off.
- Last Tracked Position: Student scans give parents and districts visibility on when children board and exit the bus. This allows for improved communication between parents and school districts.
Closing Thoughts
Investing in school bus GPS tracking software can add a lot of value to a school district’s transportation department. At BusPlanner, we strive to make the implementation of GPS trackers as hassle-free as possible to give you the best experience. Get in touch with us today to learn how we can transform your transportation operations.
