The town of Vernon, Connecticut, is taking student safety more seriously this year. The local government is partnering with BusPatrol, a company specializing in school bus stop arm control solutions, to implement AI-powered cameras that will accurately detect when other vehicles mistakenly pass a stopped school bus. The cameras will record video evidence for local police to review. If an officer believes a violation has occurred, a citation will be sent to the owner of the violating vehicle. The fine for a first offense of illegally passing a stopped school bus is $250.
This technology is nothing new. In fact, AI traffic cameras are already monitoring your every move. This type of monitoring can be problematic; Virginia’s AI traffic cameras are frustrating local residents with falsely generated tickets. However, Vernon school bus cameras may actually be on track to bring a net benefit to the community.
A study conducted in the town of Bridgeport, Connecticut, showed that nearly 10,000 cases of vehicles illegally passing a stopped school bus occurred in the locality in just six months. The City of Vernon says that 90% of first-time offenders do not commit a second offense if they are penalized. If this statistic holds, city children will be much safer going to and from school this year.
AI cameras are invading public transport
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AI-powered traffic cameras are one thing, but the situation in Connecticut is indicative of a growing trend to install AI cameras on all types of public transportation. School bus cameras could be used to monitor traffic across the country, not just to keep children safe. BusPatrol, the city of Vernon’s partner company, already operates in 24 states and has cameras installed on more than 40,000 buses. It is well established that BusPatrol sends videos to its law enforcement partners. And given that police already use Flock cameras for more than just tracking license plates, it’s unclear how footage from BusPatrol cameras could be used without the public’s knowledge.
It’s not just about school buses. As a prominent example, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) uses AI-powered cameras on Philadelphia’s regular city buses and streetcars. One reason given for using these cameras is to detect illegally parked cars that could disrupt public transportation. While there is certainly something to be said for using technology to improve transportation safety and reliability, bigger changes may be needed before people accept heavy surveillance on public transportation.
