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When discussing student ID and GPS tracking in a school transportation system, it's usually within context of student safety - as it should be! However, that does overlook one of the other big benefits of tracking systems: reducing your legal liability.
There are several ways they can be used to ensure legal compliance or, in a worst-case scenario, protect your district if something goes wrong.
The Legal Protections You Gain From Tracking Systems
1 - Proof of Ridership
If you're tracking IDs as students get on and off the bus, that gives you hard verifiable data on who was onboard and where they disembarked. So if a student goes missing, you'll be able to demonstrate that the bus routing was handled properly, as well as providing evidence of their last known location to authorities.
This could also be useful in cases of truancy: did the student board the bus in the morning, or not? You'll know for certain.
2 - Overseeing Driver Behavior
You put a lot of trust in your bus drivers to drive safely and follow the rules of the road. However, like President Reagan said, it's better to "trust, but verify." With GPS tracking, you'll have moment-by-moment data on the bus's activities during its route. If a driver is prone to speeding, for example, or not fully stopping when legally required, this behavior can be spotted and coached.
Besides improving safety on the road, this coaching could protect you if a driver ignores the feedback and causes an incident. On the other hand, documentation of chronic misbehavior would also help legally support a firing.
3 - Faster Emergency Response
What if the worst happens and a bus is involved in an accident bad enough that the driver cannot call it in? You need to know ASAP, and GPS provides that information as well. Properly configured, the GPS software will provide an alert if the bus displays any unexpected behavior, such as suddenly coming to a stop in the middle of the road.
You'd potentially know within just a minute or two if something has gone wrong. This allows you to send for assistance faster, improving the odds of better outcomes, as well as reducing your own liability.
BusBoss can help you implement cost-effective student ID and GPS tracking systems which will significantly improve safety, cut costs, and reduce your legal liabilities all at once. Contact us to learn more.
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PRESIDENT
Sonia has been involved with BusBoss since the late 1990’s, and has personally overseen many projects for various customers ranging from large urban and suburban districts to smaller rural school districts from all over the country.
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