Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) will be installing AI-powered security cameras in their school bus fleet to help lower the number of negligent drivers who illegally pass by school bus stops.
This initiative will launch on October 1, in collaboration with the Anne Arundel County Government, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, and BusPatrol.
“There is no bigger cornerstone in the foundation of educational success than the ability to transport students safely to and from our school buildings,” Superintendent of Schools Mark T. Bedell said.
“This partnership is another step in accomplishing that, and we are grateful to those who have invested time, resources, and energy in it. I urge everyone who utilizes our county’s roads to do so in cautious manner so that we do not put our children at risk,” said Bedell.
The initiative will equip 750 school busses with AI-powered stop-arm cameras that will help capture negligent drivers when they illegally pass by a school bus during a routine school stop. The camera equipment will capture the license plates of vehicles that do not stop at the bus stops, according to the press release.
“This program will protect our children, make our roads safer, and give parents some peace of mind,” County Executive Steuart Pittman said. “It is yet another collaboration between our school system, county government, and the private sector that will benefit everyone.”
The busses will also be outfitted with 360-degree cameras to look inside and outside the school buses, GPS tracking, and emergency solutions to modernize the capabilities bus drivers can have.
“In recent years, we have seen an increase in dangerous driving habits with more accidents and tragedies which could have been prevented. The safety program will significantly change driver behavior around school buses in Anne Arundel,” said Richard Hetherington, director of program management at BusPatrol.
“Once the program goes live, motorists quickly learn to slow down and respect the yellow bus. After all, it carries our most precious cargo,” said Hetherington.
