Transcript School Bus Stop Arm Passings: A Decade of Trying, Learning Derek Graham

School Bus Stop Arm Passings:
A Decade of Trying, Learning
and Trying Some More
Derek Graham
State Director, North Carolina
NC Department of Public
Nicholas “Nick” Adkins
McMichael High School –
Rockingham County, NC
The Motorist
Judy Earline Stillwell
Remembering Nick Adkins
Stop Arm Violation Task Force
Department of Public Instruction
Guilford County Schools
Wake County Schools
Wilson County Schools
Governor’s Highway Safety Program
Highway Patrol
Institute for Transportation Research and
Education (ITRE)
Division of Motor Vehicles
Data Gathering
Statewide Count
-
First
April 15, 1997: 114 districts - nearly
13,000 buses
2,636 Violations
Statewide each Spring since
Data gathering is very important
IF IT’S NOT WRITTEN DOWN,
DIDN’T HAPPEN!
IT
Number of Violations Reported
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Public Service Announcement
THE BUS STOPS HERE….
NHTSA
Best
Practice
Guide
Operation Stop Arm
Stepped up enforcement
Press conference to describe what we
were getting ready to do
Displayed the bus-mounted camera
Operation Stop Arm
Little media response
TV in one location; newspaper only in the
other
Public Awareness
Trooper R. A. Hood
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
Getting the Word Out - The
Role of the Media
Television Advertising
Radio Advertising
EXPENSIVE
Can’t do it - or can’t do it alone
GENERATE THE NEWS
Annual Counts
Special blitzes
Dalton Folwell
May, 1999
Crossing the street to board the bus –
struck and killed by oncoming motorist
(female from Central America not aware
of stopping requirements)
Local Task Force
Can Be Very Effective and Develop Energy
– Needs a Champion
DA’s office
Judges
Law Enforcement
School Transportation Department
Stop Arm Task Force
Stop Arm Task Force
Identify proper partners
Keep it simple
Meet regularly and keep making progress!
Operation Stop Arm
N.C. State Highway Patrol
February 7-11, 2005
Trooper Activity
Followed more than 1400 school buses
(>10% of the fleet)
Ride-alongs on 163 school buses
2800 Charges
1133 Speeding
606 Seat Belt and Child Seat
236 Improper Driver’s License
29 Passing Stopped School Bus
27 DWI
4 DWI under age of 21
778 Other
Continuing Efforts –
Technology
Bus Routing Data
Equipment on Buses
Cameras
 GPS
NC Law Enforcement Stop Arm Violations GIS Map
Week of January 10th thru 13th 2000
Legend
VIOLATIONS
STREET NAMES
CITY LIMIT
Brighter, Strobing Lights
Will they last?
Data seem to show a reduction in
violations with brighter strobing lights.
Will they begin to eventually blend into
the background?
Other Signage
S.T.O.P. Sign
CAUTION STOPPING
STOP DO NOT PASS
Global Positioning Systems
Automatic 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
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?
Driver Signal – So That
Students Know When to Cross
Liability for the driver / district
Yes……so?
Reinforcement, day after day, so that it
becomes second nature to the student to
WAIT before crossing
Digital Camera Systems
License Plate Enhancement
Here’s Why We Need to Keep
Fighting the Fight
Terrence Howard
Chatham County
February 20, 2002
Struck and killed by oncoming motorist.
Bus had not come to a complete stop.
Priscilla Norton
Robeson 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)
Ana Maria Sola
Rowan County
November 5, 2003
Crossing the street to catch the bus. Struck
and killed by oncoming motorist. Student on his
way to school.
Sheila Hernandez
Robeson County January 13,
2004
Boarding the bus when a truck
slammed into the back of the bus.
Miguel Posada
Robeson County October 19,
2004
Crossing the street to catch the
bus. Struck and killed by oncoming
motorist (substitute teacher)
Education Education
Need to continually
search for
opportunities to tell
the story so that
motorists will THINK
CNN Piece
What’s 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
Will We Stop All Violators?
Nope
Is It Worth Trying?
You Bet THEIR Life it is!!
School Bus Stop Arm Passings:
A Decade of Trying, Learning
and Trying Some More
Derek Graham
State Director, North Carolina
NC Department of Public