MESA, Ariz.,- Verra Mobility Corporation (NASDAQ: VRRM), a leading provider of smart mobility technology solutions, has launched the ‘Zero in on School Bus Safety Toolkit’ to champion National School Bus Safety Week (October 21-25) and encourage others to embrace the importance of using safe driving behavior around school buses.
Passing a stopped school bus with its stop-arm extended is against the law, yet thousands of Americans do this on a daily basis. The National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS) annual survey showed 45.2 million drivers received a violation for illegally passing school buses last school year – up from 43.5 million during the prior school year. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration relates this to the most devastating consequence, stating an average of 108 fatalities occurred each year via school transportation-related crashes from 2013-2022.
To encourage communities and organizations to raise awareness around this issue, Verra Mobility created ‘Zero in on School Bus Safety Toolkit’ with resources including social media posts, statistics, and digital collateral to raise awareness and create safer school bus transportation. To download the free materials and share this important safety message, visit www.verramobility.com/national-school-bus-safety-week-toolkit.
“Every day, millions of students rely on school buses for safe transport to and from school,” said Belinda Olivares, general manager of the school bus stop arm division at Verra Mobility. “The illegal passing of stopped school buses threatens our students’ safety. That’s why Verra Mobility is partnering with school districts to install school bus safety arm technology to protect students as they board and exit the bus. These programs are proven to alter driver behavior, but we must do more. The goal of the toolkit is to give school districts and organizations across the nation a way to deliver the safety message in one easy step.”
Verra Mobility’s school bus stop arm program works when the bus’s stop arm is deployed, and a camera automatically detects vehicles that pass the stopped bus within the enforced zone. The camera records video of the vehicle and captures event images including its license plate and the extended stop-arm.
Verra Mobility’s program has shown that 98 percent of drivers who are issued a violation for illegally passing a stopped school bus do not repeat their behavior, with some programs experiencing up to a 70 percent reduction in issued citations when comparing the beginning of the school year to the end. Violations act to raise awareness and change driver behavior.
“School buses carry very precious cargo…our students. While protecting their safety is a daily priority, this week allows us to spotlight the importance of safe school bus transportation and reduce the risks to children,” said Olivares. “Verra Mobility has equipped thousands of school buses, transporting tens-of-thousands of students, with safety camera technology to better protect children on their commute to and from school.”
To learn more about the school bus stop arm safety program, visit www.verramobility.com/government/school-bus-safety/.
About Verra Mobility:
Verra Mobility Corporation (NASDAQ: VRRM) is a leading provider of smart mobility technology solutions that make transportation safer, smarter and more connected. The company sits at the center of the mobility ecosystem, bringing together vehicles, hardware, software, data and people to enable safe, efficient solutions for customers globally. Verra Mobility’s transportation safety systems and parking management solutions protect lives, improve urban and motorway mobility and support healthier communities. The company also solves complex payment, utilization and compliance challenges for fleet owners and rental car companies. Headquartered in Arizona, Verra Mobility operates in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. For more information, please visit www.verramobility.com.
