Buses equipped with extended stop arms, cameras
By Krista Craig
krista@thenewsobserver.com
Believe it or not, another school year is about to begin, which means that school buses will be back on the road taking students from home to school, and back again.
Every motorist on the road will need to be more cautious and aware of their surroundings so that students and school bus drivers can arrive at their destinations safely.
Denver Foster, transportation director for Fannin County School System, said, “One of the biggest challenges in this business is unloading and loading of students, which is one of the most dangerous times. Children’s safety is paramount.”
To help keep students safe, Fannin County school buses have several safety features aboard to ensure the safety of the students and bus drivers.
This school year, drivers will most likely notice the extended stop sign arm on most of the buses in Fannin County, which is a signal to motorists to stop so that students can safely get on or off of the bus.
Not only is it dangerous, but it is illegal in Georgia to pass a school bus when the stop sign is deployed. Beware, Fannin County school buses have external cameras with license plate readers so that violators can be caught and given a citation.
Other safety features include external cameras on the back of buses as well as extra external lighting so that motorists can see buses ahead of them, and so that students getting on and off the bus are more visible to motorists.
Buses also have larger front mirrors mounted on the buses so that bus drivers have a wider range of view for their safety and for other motorists safety.
There are also several features onboard Fannin County school buses that will be a benefit for students this school year.
All school buses are now equipped with air conditioning, which will not only provide comfort for students onboard, but will also be a health benefit especially for those students with medical conditions such as asthma or allergies.
There is also wi-fi available onboard most buses so that students can complete any school assignments before or after school as well as being able to stay in touch with parents and friends. The wi-fi is also monitored, and there are several cameras inside the buses that are equipped with audio, which is also for monitoring students while on board the bus.
The Georgia Department of Public Health has issued COVID-19 guidelines, which recommends that students onboard school buses wear masks especially “in times when physical distancing is difficult. Practices that are recommended are additional strategies that schools may choose to use to minimize spread of COVID-19.”
Fannin County schools are still waiting for final guidance regarding students wearing masks while on the bus. If they decide to require them, masks will be given to those students who do not have one, and hand sanitizer will also be available on buses.
We can all do our part this school year to keep Fannin County students safe by being aware of our surroundings and following traffic laws, while sharing the road with school buses.