Blue Bird Corp. has partnered with Safety Vision LLC to increase the safety of school buses in the form of Mobileye, a passive collision avoidance solution that helps prevent accidents.
The program works by combining Safety Vision’s 360-degree camera, giving the driver a complete view around the vehicle, with Mobileye’s system, alerting drivers to potential dangers on the road. Some of these visual alerts include Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning and Pedestrian and Cyclist Collision Warning.
“Safety is always at top-of-mind for Blue Bird, and adding a collision avoidance system to our buses is an excellent way to continue to transport our most precious cargo safely and effectively,” said David Bercik, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Blue Bird Corp.
When the Mobileye system has been used in other applications, end users showed up to 90% reductions in collision related costs, as well as up to 90% reductions in collision-related insurance claims. Increased safety by assisting operation of the vehicle also can help the bus driver shortages that are currently being faced, which are exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Historically, on-board technology placed on school buses would capture faults of drivers, but Mobileye technology does not measure driver performance; instead, it provides driver assistance,” said Clint Bryer, director of sales, student transportation for Safety Vision. “Having the right technology shows drivers you care about their peace of mind, while reducing accidents and helping them retain a good driving record.”
School districts will have this technology factory-installed on their newly ordered Blue Bird buses and can have the technology installed on their existing bus fleet through the local Blue Bird dealer.
Blue Bird Corp. manufactures buses in two facilities in Fort Valley, Georgia. As the only manufacturer of chassis and body production specifically designed for school bus application, Blue Bird is recognized as an industry leader for school bus innovation, safety, product quality and durability, operating costs and drivability.
In operation since 1993, Safety Vision LLC is headquartered in Houston, Texas, and offers mobile surveillance products to a wide variety of industries.
