Proposal to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

1
School Bus Stop Arm PassingsA Decade of Trying,
Learningand Trying Some More
Derek Graham State Director, North Carolina NC
Department of Public Instruction
2
(No Transcript)
3
Nicholas Nick Adkins

• McMichael High School
• Rockingham County, NC

4
The MotoristJudy Earline Stillwell
5
Remembering Nick Adkins
6
Stop Arm Violation Task Force

• Department of Public Instruction
• Guilford County Schools
• Wake County Schools
• Wilson County Schools
• Governors Highway Safety Program
• Highway Patrol
• Institute for Transportation Research and
  Education (ITRE)
• Division of Motor Vehicles

7
Data Gathering - First Statewide Count

• April 15, 1997 114 districts - nearly 13,000
  buses
• 2,636 Violations
• Statewide each Spring since
• Data gathering is very important
• IF ITS NOT WRITTEN DOWN, IT DIDNT HAPPEN!

8
(No Transcript)
9
Public Service AnnouncementTHE BUS STOPS HERE.
10
NHTSA Best PracticeGuide
11
Operation Stop Arm

• Stepped up enforcement
• Press conference to describe what we were getting
  ready to do
• Displayed the bus-mounted camera

12
Operation Stop Arm

• Little media response
• TV in one location newspaper only in the other

13
Public Awareness
14
(No Transcript)
15
(No Transcript)
16
Trooper R. A. Hood
17
Valuable Insights

• Involve key agencies before starting
• Training of bus drivers
• Gather data to identify problem areas
• Make use of technology
• Relationship with law enforcement
• Remember that data? Make sure it is good and
  share it with law enforcement
• Public awareness is effective

18
Getting the Word Out - The Role of the Media

• Television Advertising
• Radio Advertising
• EXPENSIVE
• Cant do it - or cant do it alone
• GENERATE THE NEWS
• Annual Counts
• Special blitzes

19
Dalton FolwellMay, 1999

• Crossing the street to board the bus struck and
  killed by oncoming motorist (female from Central
  America not aware of stopping requirements)

20
Local Task ForceCan Be Very Effective and
Develop Energy Needs a Champion

• DAs office
• Judges
• Law Enforcement
• School Transportation Department

21
Stop Arm Task Force
Interest
Time
22
(No Transcript)
23
Stop Arm Task Force

• Identify proper partners
• Keep it simple
• Meet regularly and keep making progress!

24
Operation Stop ArmN.C. State Highway Patrol

• February 7-11, 2005

25
Trooper Activity

• Followed more than 1400 school buses (gt10 of the
  fleet)
• Ride-alongs on 163 school buses

26
2800 Charges

• 1133 Speeding
• 606 Seat Belt and Child Seat
• 236 Improper Drivers License
• 29 Passing Stopped School Bus
• 27 DWI
• 4 DWI under age of 21
• 778 Other

27
Continuing Efforts Technology

• Bus Routing Data
• Equipment on Buses
• Cameras
• GPS

28
NC Law Enforcement Stop Arm Violations GIS Map
Week of January 10th thru 13th 2000
Legend
VIOLATIONS
STREET NAMES
CITY LIMIT
29
Brighter, Strobing Lights
30
Will they last?

• Data seem to show a reduction in violations with
  brighter strobing lights.
• Will they begin to eventually blend into the
  background?

31
Other Signage

• S.T.O.P. Sign
• CAUTION STOPPING
• STOP DO NOT PASS

32
Global Positioning SystemsAutomatic Vehicle
Locating

• Verify operation of stop arm, lights, brakes,
  speed, etc at bus stop where violation occurred
• Provide data to law enforcement for areas of
  concentration

33
Driver Intervention The Best Technology ?

• All the technology in the world is not going to
  prevent the thousands of daily stop arm
  violations
• Most deaths are students K-3
• Who is there with that student?

34
Driver Signal So That Students Know When to
Cross

• Liability for the driver / district
• Yesso?
• Reinforcement, day after day, so that it becomes
  second nature to the student to WAIT before
  crossing

35
Video
36
(No Transcript)
37
(No Transcript)
38
Digital Camera Systems
39
License Plate Enhancement
40
Heres Why We Need to Keep Fighting the Fight
41
Terrence HowardChatham CountyFebruary 20, 2002
Struck and killed by oncoming motorist. Bus had
not come to a complete stop.
42
Priscilla NortonRobeson County April 16, 2003

• High school student
• Exiting the bus when a motorist (66 year old
  female) went around the bus on the right side
  (brake failure)

43
Ana Maria SolaRowan CountyNovember 5, 2003
Crossing the street to catch the bus. Struck and
killed by oncoming motorist. Student on his way
to school.
44
Sheila HernandezRobeson County January 13, 2004
Boarding the bus when a truck slammed into the
back of the bus.
45
Miguel PosadaRobeson County October 19, 2004
Crossing the street to catch the bus. Struck and
killed by oncoming motorist (substitute teacher)
46
Education Education

• Need to continually search for opportunities to
  tell the story so that motorists will THINK
• CNN Piece

47
(No Transcript)
48
Whats the Silver Bullet?

• If there is one it is the district CHAMPION.
• That person in the school district that will
• Develop relationships with law enforcement
• Look for and activate partners
• Try new technology
• Get the word out

49
Will We Stop All Violators?

• Nope

50
Is It Worth Trying?

• You Bet THEIR Life it is!!

51
School Bus Stop Arm PassingsA Decade of Trying,
Learningand Trying Some More
Derek Graham State Director, North Carolina NC
Department of Public Instruction