VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — This week, conversations surrounding school safety have shifted from school zone cameras to innovative technology being implemented on beach school buses aimed at protecting students.
PJ Crisostomo, who has four children in VB schools, expressed concern about the dangers that can arise during morning and afternoon bus pickups.
"Just the other day I saw two cars totally ignore a bus that was picking up kids," he said. "I don't know if it's just the morning rush and everyone is not paying attention or they just blatantly didn't care."
Watch previous coverage: Cameras being installed on Virginia Beach school buses will flag when drivers don't stop
James Lash, Executive Director of Transportation and Fleet Management Services with VBCPS, noted an increase in impatient drivers ignoring stop signs and red lights near school buses.
"We are just seeing more and more people blow by the stop signs," he said.
To combat these safety issues, Virginia Beach City Public Schools has equiped 150 buses with new artificial intelligence (AI) technology designed to monitor the surroundings of the bus when students are getting on and off.
"If, say, you're driving in the far left lane and somebody is in the next to the right lane and you both pass the school bus, you'll both receive citations," Lash explained.
Watch related coverage: Virginia Beach City Council approves school zone speed cameras
When a student exits the bus, the crossing arm and stop sign activate, accompanied by flashing lights.
The onboard AI technology will scan for vehicles that violate the stop sign and capture video evidence.
Watch related coverage: Portsmouth school buses get cameras to catch drivers who don't stop
This data will then be forwarded to the Virginia Beach Police Department, which will determine if a citation should be issued, with fines reaching up to $250.
The program is set to roll out on all Virginia Beach school buses in the coming weeks.
"The city has to do what it has to do to keep our kids safe, so I'm totally fine with it," Crisostomo said.
