The Many Uses of GPS Technology for School Buses

A recent story out of Detroit tells a brief tale about a young man age 25, a cold day, and GPS technology. In the story, the driver of a school bus had started the school bus in the Safeway Transportation parking lot and then went into the office to allow for the vehicle to warm up. After some time had passed, the driver returned to his vehicle to find it missing. During the bus thief’s joy ride, Michigan state police were alerted to the fact that a hit-and-run had occurred involving a school bus not far from the Safeway Transportation center. Police were able to find the car thief once the bus was disabled. When the bus had come to a stop at one point, Safeway was able to use the GPS technology to disable the bus from starting again, causing the thief to flee on foot to an apartment building, where he was apprehended by the police.

What GPS Technology did to Help the Police

Once the police were alerted to the theft, the GPS tracking technology installed on the school bus made the hunt very easy for police. Once they began tracking the bus, it was quickly found and circled, despite the attempts by the thief to cross onto a toll road, which was unsuccessful due to not having enough money for the toll. The GPS technology installed also allowed the bus company to remotely turn off the bus and prevent it from driving off once it came to a stop. The thief apparently stopped the bus close to his residence and was even recognized by a neighbor as he fled inside. Upon being caught by the police, it was determined that the suspect would need to undergo some psychological tests, as he apparently suffers from a mental illness. He was transported to Detroit Receiving Hospital for the tests.

What can GPS Do for You?

Today’s GPS technology is so much more than just finding your way in unfamiliar locations. It is even more than just finding lost things and turning off engines. What could GPS technology do to help schools and school buses to be more efficient and safer for students and the taxpayers that support them?

·         Student Notification: In some parts of the country, school can start very early and students are sometimes required to wait outside in cold or freezing temperatures waiting for their school bus to arrive. If parents had a way to track their child’s school bus location in real time, they could help their child know when to make the journey to the bus stop and not have to wait for it in the cold. Even though everybody over 40 walked to school “in the snow, uphill both ways” when they were a child, it doesn’t mean that today’s student needs to suffer the same discomfort.

·         Better Routes: The GPS navigation can allow users to track where the school buses are driving and also when they are there. This technology could be used to help bus drivers find the best routes for the students and determine if more drivers would be more cost efficient due to the number of students and routes to take. If a driver continuously gets stuck in traffic, an alternative route can be determined that can save the taxpayers money in wasted gas and hourly wages.

·         Improved Safety and Awareness: Parents can also be informed of delays and changes to bus schedules by being able to track the progress of their child’s school bus. If junior is running late, it will be easier to determine if his bus is still on the road or if he should already be home and might have just stopped at Johnny’s house. Today’s parents want to know right away where their children are (rightfully so) and GPS technology being used on school buses is one way to create that knowledge.

·        Remote Control: The GPS device used to track and stop the school bus in this case could be useful in preventing another type of unauthorized driving: from the students! As much as it would be desirable to simply keep the bus driver in the driver’s seat at all times, there may be an unavoidable situation that opens it up for a rambunctious pre-teen to take the wheel and take the bus for a joy ride. The remote access could limit the damage caused by such an event, whether it could be from a student or a simple car-jacker.

The possibilities are endless for school districts. While there would inevitably be an upfront cost for this GPS technology, the potential savings might be enough to cover it in a short amount of time. Parents today want more peace of mind when their children are out of the house, and this is another way to get an extra set of eyes watching out for them.

The Many Uses of GPS Technology for School Buses