BusGates Recognizes Distracted Driving Awareness Month With New Pilot Program
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – With distracted driving on the rise across the United States, BusGates, a leading manufacturer of LED stop arm extensions, is elevating its mission of enhancing student safety by launching a new pilot program that will give away its technology to school districts across the U.S.
During April’s National Distracted Driving Awareness Month BusGates will ship participating schools one patented stop arm extension to test and keep at no charge while inventory lasts.
BusGates are uniquely designed to make school buses more visible to approaching traffic. By extending the arm five feet from the side of the bus, the BusGates LED extension acts as a physical and visual barrier, warning drivers from a greater distance and helping to reduce illegal drive-arounds.
“As parents, all of us at BusGates understand the importance of keeping our children safe, especially when they are getting to and from school,” said Dan Thompson, Founding Partner at BusGates. “We believe every school should benefit from our proactive technology and this pilot program will make it even more accessible.”
A 2023 National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS) bus driver survey found that there were more than 43.5 million illegal school bus passings in the United States during the 2022-2023 school year. This alarming statistic highlights the urgent need for increased awareness and stronger external safety measures on school buses.
“Our products are a simple solution that easily retrofits the existing stop sign on school buses,” said Trevor Clatfelter, Founding Partner at BusGates. “The stop arm extensions offer additional visibility with flashing LED lights and extend 5 feet from the bus making drive-arounds much harder.”
School districts in more than 20 states have made their bus fleets more visible by installing BusGates LED-lit stop arm extensions that add a physical barrier to oncoming traffic and significantly reduce illegal passing.
Here’s how BusGates stop arm extensions work:
Physical Barrier: When a school bus stops to load or unload children, the BusGates stop arm extends just over 5 feet into the adjacent lanes of traffic. This physical presence is highly visible and is a deterrent to motorists who might otherwise consider passing the bus.
Enhanced Visibility: The extended stop arm is well-lit with high-powered LED flashing lights offering additional warning as vehicles approach. This visibility serves as a strong reminder to drivers to stop, as required by law.
Immediate Deterrent: By creating a tangible obstruction, BusGates immediately influences driver behavior, preventing potential violations before they occur.
Unlike cameras aboard many school buses, which serve as surveillance tools to catch motorists who illegally pass school buses, stop arm extensions aim to prevent the behavior in the first place.
Distracted Driving Awareness Month highlights the dangers of distracted driving behaviors, including the illegal passing of school buses, and the need for more focus behind the wheel, especially in marked school zones and bus stops in communities across the country.
To learn more about BusGates’ pilot program and how schools can participate, visit www.busgates.com/pilotprogram.
About BusGates:
BusGates is on a mission to reduce vehicle “drive-arounds” at bus stops across America and make getting to and from school safer for students. Bus Gates stop-arm extensions are a simple, cost-effective solution to a major problem – cars ignoring stopped school bus warnings putting students at risk. Bus Gates stop-arm extensions easily retro fits to the existing school bus stop signs. They offer additional visibility and stick out further from the bus to make drivers more aware and reducing “drive-arounds” by up to 95%.
The post BusGates Recognizes Distracted Driving Awareness Month With New Pilot Program appeared first on School Transportation News.