For Teachers Archives - trackschoolbus

Traffic Violations: Definition, Types, Consequences and Examples

Posted on November 29, 2019 by TSB Super Admin

Traffic violations, whether it is minor or major are serious offenses, which could even cause endanger the lives of the drivers and pedestrians.

Is driving your passion? Or are you into the driving profession?

This blog is mainly for anyone who drives but does not consider traffic violations as a serious issue.

Definition

Traffic violations can be easily defined as an act that violates the traffic laws of the concerned state and country.

With the rise in the cases of traffic rule breaks, accident cases also rise.

Never consider breaking traffic rules as something very minor. Remember that road is for every user and the rules are the same for all.

It is now very common for vehicle drivers to get fined, issued traffic tickets or even arrested because of traffic violations.

And in recent years, punishment for breaking traffic rules and punishment are also getting harsher.

Such traffic violations take place when drivers break laws that control vehicle operation on roads and highways.

Also Read: 24 Useful Apps For College Students

Check out these reports to know how common is such traffic violations-

INDIA – Based on a report in Hindustan Times, from January to October 2019, the Noida district traffic police have issued more than 6 lakh challans for different violations leading to the collection of ₹35 crores.
UAE – Arabic daily has reported the Abu Dhabi Police’s statement that 111 violations were recorded in 2019 for school buses for not turning on the ‘Stop’ sign.
USA – Joe Tax Payers reports that in the U.S, around 35 million speeding tickets are issued each year, which is about 93,000 tickets each day, or 65 each minute.

Types of Traffic Violations

There are two types of violations

Minor
Major

1) Minor Violations

The minor type includes parking violations such as parking in an unauthorized space including in front of a fire hydrant, at the handicapped zone, in front of the driveway and in a no-parking zone.

2) Major Violations

Major violations include more serious issues such as reckless driving and accident issues.

Traffic laws vary by specific state, city, and region. Anyone driving must make sure that they are aware of the legal rights and security options, and such options will vary depending on the charges.

Consequences of Traffic Violations

While minor violations lead to smaller fines and punishment, major ones will result in larger fines and in certain cases, even the accused may have to go to jail as well.

At times the results of such violations can be deadly serious and can lead to further legal consequences.

The more the traffic tickets a driver gets, the worse will be any one’s driving record.

Based on the Reports of News18: “Every Hour 17 People Die in India Due to Road Accident”

With the increase in the number of points, there are also possibilities for the drivers to lose their licenses.

Insurance charges may also increase when you break traffic laws. While applying for new insurance or while renewing insurance, insurance companies will check the driving record and poor records may be denied insurance.

Violations can also result in a crime when a driver causes an accident, but leaves the scene or driving without a cense or driving when drunk or while using drugs.

Charging fines, punishment, and traffic tickets vary with where you live.

In most legal cases, those charged with a traffic felony will be recommended to appear in the court for the accusation.

During accusation, the prosecution must come up with the evidence to prove that the accused has committed the traffic violation.

Examples

While a moving violation occurs when a vehicle in motion disobeys traffic law, a non-moving violation is connected to parking vehicles.

Some of the common violations of traffic laws are –

Over speed
Not using the seat belt
Not signaling
Avoiding stop signs and red light
Distracted driving
No proper vehicle registration
Passing other vehicles in a no-passing zone
No valid driver’s license
Driving under drugs/alcohol influence
Driving in the carpool lane
Driving around without stopping for school bus
Failure to have updated insurance
Not stopping for pedestrians

Of all these violations, speed limit and seat belt violations are reported to be most common.

Also Read: 90+ Math Riddles For Kids

Tips to Drive Safe

Here’s how you can drive safely in traffic

Follow rules on speed limits
Make sure to wear seat belts
Never drive under alcohol consumption
Check out traffic signals
Remember to keep headlights on while driving
Avoid mobile usage or any distractions while driving

Conclusion

It is quite obvious that traffic violations may lead to severe mishaps which in turn affect your easy life.

Don’t try to break traffic rules and be safe.

In most countries, punishments for breaking traffic rules are strict which leads to temporary as well as permanent dismissal of license.

Be sure that you are not breaking any traffic rules.

4 Ways To Find The Best School Bus Driver

Posted on April 3, 2019 by TSB Super Admin

The responsibility of a school bus driver is much more than mere driving. Parents and the schools entrust their children to the drivers for safe transportation to and from school.

Possessing a valid driver’s license and satisfying the age criteria to drive school buses is the bare minimum requirement. The bus driver should complete a special training program to be a school bus driver.

Apart from the eligibility criteria, school bus drivers need to have additional characteristics. This is a necessary requirement since the passengers the drivers deal with are children of different age groups and the people they report to are varied – parents, teachers, school authorities and transport authorities.

Selecting the best school bus driver

School bus drivers are hired on the basis of their resumes the school transport department receives and also recommendations from bus companies.

Selecting the best driver is about picking aspects that show they can perform the task professionally. To make the selection process easier it would be most practical to list out the traits required.

Final selection can be made keeping these qualities in mind.

School-Transport-Software--Ensure-enhanced-student-safety

1. Driving skills

Experience

Driving large vehicles like the school bus requires skills which differ from driving small personal cars. On road experience of driving large vehicles amidst small cars, traffic hold-ups, road accidents etc is highly essential. The driver experience in transporting school children is definitely desirable.

Knowledge of traffic rules

The drivers have to be well versed with the traffic laws and regulations, in general and that pertaining to big vehicles, in particular. A different set of rules is applicable to school buses especially when stopping to pick and drop off students. The rules on the use of stop arms and flashing lights, while stopping, have to be strictly followed.

Road focus

School bus drivers should concentrate on the road, no matter what personal problems or distractions he/she faces. Distractions inside and outside the bus should not cause him to lose focus of his job.

Alertness

Safe driving requires the driver to be mentally alert during his shift. His quick response is warranted in situations of emergency. Having a good night’s sleep and not being under the influence of alcohol will enable the driver to remain alert.

Judgement

A keen sense of judgment is the key to safe driving and it comes with practice. The driver’s assessmentof the oncoming traffic, aggressive driving, vehicle speeding, pedestrian behavior etc help in avoiding accidents due to external factors.

Track record

The driver should have had an accident-free and clean driving record. He should be devoid of criminal cases. His credentials should be verified and counter checked with respective departments.

Mechanical skills

Knowledge of basic mechanical skills is highly desirable. Repair of minor technical issues by the driver himself will save down-time of the vehicle. This will help in maintaining schedules with the least disruption. Assisting in keeping the bus clean and checking the operation of the bus daily are additional points to be considered.

2. Operational efficiency

Reliability

The school bus drivers are personnel on whom the schools and parents depend and rely on. The driver has to be punctual to the time schedules given to him. He should strictly adhere to the route charted out for him by the school. He should be prompt in updating parents and schools of any changes in route or timing.

Time-Manager

A school bus driver must follow the specific route given to him. He should always keep to the timings for each stage on the route. A good time manager will start early to avoid traffic and begin his route on time. He should refrain from using alternate routes or short cuts if it affects the time schedule.

Effective Communicator

The parents see and interact with the school bus driver more frequently than any other person in the school. He has to be prompt in updating them on changes in time schedules and routes.

He has to answer their calls and queries politely. Bad conduct of their wards is communicated to the parents without offending those involved.

The school bus driver has to be in constant touch with the school transport department reporting delays due to traffic jams, road construction, accidents etc. Accurate and regular reporting is required to keep the operation smooth.

Leader

The school bus driver is in charge of the students on the bus. He should be confident and take the right decisions when it is required. He should be in effect a leader, always keeping in mind the well-being of the students.

Maintaining Log

Daily recording of routes, trip times, distances run, fuel consumed etc. has to be kept. This information is required for efficient fleet management and is helpful in monitoring drivers. Student discipline reports have to be written.

3. Behavioral Aspects

Patience

Being patient with the students on board the bus is the highest virtue that a school bus driver must have. He must understand that they are children and that patience with them is absolutely essential.

Even when the students are boisterous, he should be patient and be able to control them. This will ensure no mishaps and that the bus reaches the destination on time.

At times, the students tend to become violent and fight among themselves. The students get adamant about seating and their belongings, some indulge in misbehavior.

The driver requires extra-ordinary patience and skill to manage the children on the bus and at the same time drive the bus. He should be able to handle all situations with ease.

Being Personal: The driver has to build a healthy relationship with the children on the bus. He should try to remember their names, be kind and friendly to both parents and children. He should possess a pleasant demeanor, smiling at all times. His duty is to make the child and parent feel at ease while boarding the bus.

Staying Calm

Bus drivers do not have control over what happens on the road. Hence they have to be always prepared for any eventualities such as road rage, traffic conditions and bad weather.

Rational decisions have to be taken in adverse circumstances. They have to remain calm under situations of pressure keeping the safety of the passengers in mind.

4. Attitude

Being Positive

A positive attitude is required to perform a satisfactory driving job. Bad moods and personal problems should not affect the driver. This should not be reflected in his job at any time.

Commitment

The school bus drivers must be dedicated to his job. He should enjoy doing his work. This will keep him in a happy frame of mind which will make his job easier. His commitment will be reflected in his dealings with the parents, students and authorities.

Respect for others

While the foundation of the driver’s job is to transport students, he has to respect all individuals he deals with. Each of these individuals, be it students or officials, contribute to the success of the driver. All of them have to be respected and appreciated.

Understanding

School bus drivers should understand the nature of their work. A comprehension of the high degree of responsibility they are entrusted with is of utmost importance. Understanding that safety should be his priority at all times will make him function logically.

These are the core traits that a school bus driver should have to be successful in his job. Finding the perfect fit for the best school bus driver is being able to recognize these traits.

While school buses are considered to be the safest mode of transportation for students, school bus drivers have a challenging task transporting them. A driver with ample driving experience, knowledge and an interest in working with children would be an asset to the school.

School Students Using Public Transportation – Pros and Cons

Posted on December 24, 2018 by TSB Super Admin

The decision to send our kids through public transportation (buses/trains) is, at the outset, a simple one. Most parents would, if they had infinite time and money, choose to drop them off themselves.

Sadly though, this is not the case for a large majority. With limited time and money, juggling responsibilities, they do a cost-benefit analysis. Interestingly enough, these are not the only reasons why the decision is taken.

While the alternatives to public transportation include the children cycling or walking to schools themselves, we will be primarily concerned with private cars (including carpooling) as the choice of public transportation, by default, assuming that there is some distance to be covered to reach the school.

Pros of Using Public Transportation

Minimum ambiguity, Maximum discipline

There won’t be any last minute dashes due to a parent’s hectic schedule. There is a scheduled stop at a scheduled time and the child needs to be there.

If the child doesn’t reach the stop on time, he/she will have to wait for the next bus. Through trial and error, the child knows for certain which bus she needs to catch.

A Multitude of Choices

The child has several choices for spending his/her time. From enjoying the solitude to making friends and spending time with them, to spending time reading or studying, the child makes the time of his/her own.

A Question of Friendship

Studies have shown that the adults who have close long-term friendships do better than their less social counterparts. This is especially important as the age when the child is attending middle school and/or high school is when intimate friendships are most often born.

Public transportation provides space for socialization and making friends with other children through frequent and regular interactions.

A Dollar Saved is a Dollar Earned

Several families have significant financial constraints. Public transportation is a (relatively) safe option for them to send their kids to school. This becomes even more important if their neighbours are sending their kids to the same school through the same means.

Stronger, Faster, Fitter

While this can’t be compared to children walking or cycling to school, children who travel to school via some mode of public transportation are fitter. This is shown through studies which reveal that public transit users, on average, take 30% more steps per day.

A Question of Responsibility

Children who use public transport to go to school tend to become more independent and responsible at an earlier age than their peers. While public transportation may lead to nervousness among the parents, this quickly disappears as the child learns and demonstrates responsibility.

A Benefit to Society

Apart from the increased car traffic and pollution and all the negatives that go with it, it has been seen that children who use public transit systems to get to school develop a healthy appreciation for public transport facilities.

And they have a greater tendency to use as well as support its use through adulthood. This is especially important to those areas where the public transport system is weak and needs to be strengthened.

Cons of Using Public Transportation

Safety – The Primary Concern

While there are several benefits to public transportation, it cannot be denied that there is one area where private transport trumps it; by a fair way.

And this, in the opinion of many parents, is their single most important concern. This is especially true in difficult neighbourhoods. And while using public transit is certainly safer than walking to school, it doesn’t beat the family car in this respect.

Harassment and Negative Experiences

Closely related to the above mentioned one, avoiding being bullied or harassed – and not having a proper channel to address it is an important factor for parents in choosing not to send their child through public transportation.

Children may also get traumatised by events they are not part of, but simply witness. Given these circumstances, in areas where public transportation is the only option, parents may choose to send their children to a suboptimal school as a result.

Sharing is Caring

The primary reason for preferring private transportation to public transportation is that of safety. Parents often compromise due to the difficulty in taking children to their school amidst their own hectic schedules.

This is true especially when both parents are working. This can be mitigated by carpools, where parents of different children alternate the responsibility of taking them to school.

The Hour Expands

Taking public transportation inevitably means that the child needs to spend more time in transit. From walking to their stop to wait for the bus to the longer routes (that have to be) taken by the bus; and back again while returning home.

This is more prominently seen for high schools, which are generally further away. This is a concern both with respect to time as well as safety.

Discomfort and Overcrowding

Most schools start and end around the same time. So, when a bus comes along, it is possible that it may be overcrowded. And this makes for a negative experience for the child, which they may not be able to handle. This effect is even more prominent while returning home.

Differing Standards

A study indicated that among children between the ages of 9 and 13, only 6% play outside a given week. At a time when parents are overprotective about their children, can we reasonably expect the children to be able to handle themselves in public settings?

With unfamiliar people? In a crowd? And then there’s the question of personality. Do they get anxious? Under difficult circumstances, will they be able to call the parent and communicate with them?

So there you have it. Why you should rely on public transportation for your children’s school travel. And why you shouldn’t. Priorities and personal preferences play a big role. But we hope this will help you make a more considered decision.

How Many Countries Have Their Own GPS System

Posted on September 5, 2018 by TSB Super Admin

Global Positioning System (GPS), originally named Navstar GPS is a radio-navigation system developed for the Air Force operations of the United States and owned by the government of The United States.

However, there are other names given to the navigation systems that are owned and managed by various nations across the globe, all of which will be discussed under, at length. The GPS finds its extensive use in a number of national and international operations including lending a helping hand to navy and military operations.

When it comes to the daily and most common applications of GPS, you will find its promising role in tracking school kids, vehicles and even pets. GPS devices are also used to effectively manage a fleet in addition to providing real-time weather updates to anyone concerned.

There are countries that operate through their indigenous GPS systems. 5 of them are India, Russia, China, The European Union and Japan. This post sheds light on all the 5 GPS systems that are operated and managed by these countries.

NAVIC – India

All thanks to the efforts of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), which made India the proud owner of indigenous GPS and navigation system called NAVIC, since 2016. This is the 7^th and last navigation satellite launched by India. After the launch of this satellite, India can manage all its military navigation operations without depending on another country.

This is a regional navigation satellite system with 7 satellites working in tandem with each other to provide accurate coordinates of the targeted position. When you say that it is a regional satellite, it means that its real-time timing and positioning operations can span over India and any region in the Indian Territory extending up to 1,500 km.

Applications of NAVIC

NAVIC can become the leading light for travelers and hikers by providing terrestrial navigation information.
It can be used to lay hands on accurate location coordinates linked to aerial (air), terrestrial (land) and marine (water) navigation.
Finding an extensive use in the effective and timely management of disasters, NAVIC can also help in fleet management operation and vehicle tracking.
Along with providing important data points like precise timing and map coordinates, NAVIC can help you capture land surveying data.
Additional features include the broadcasting of voice and visual navigation information that can help drivers reach a certain preset destination.

Galileo – European Union

Getting its name from the well-known Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei, Galileo is a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) that was built by the European Union (EU), in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA). It is an interesting piece of trivia to note that this €10 billion project operates through 30 MEO (Medium Earth Orbit) satellites, most of which are operational since 2014.

All the satellites are expected to become fully-functional by 2020. Once the system is completed, Galileo will have 30 satellites which will orbit in space, interoperating with both Russia’s GLONASS and USA’s GPS.

Plan is up for essential lower-precision Galileo services to come with a “cost-free” tag that can be availed by civilians, the high-precision capabilities must be made available to paid commercial consumers. Galileo is supposed to offer vertical and horizontal position measurements with a 1 meter public accuracy.

Additionally, this GNSS project is intended to provide superior positioning services at greater latitudes, when compared to other positioning systems. Italy and Germany are the two companies that are majorly contributing to the Galileo project.

In contrast to the military operations that are directed by the USA’s GPS and Russia’s GLONASS, Galileo is a class apart. The noble intention behind Galileo is to enable civilians make the most of this global positioning system. 2016 was the year in which Galileo started off, by providing basic services, including helping users to be guided by navigation, timing and positioning information.

Applications of Galileo

The primary objective of Galileo is to offer an exclusive system of high-precision positioning to all the nations conglomerated under the umbrella of European Union. This was a step to avoid relying on GLONASS, the GPS system of Russian, Bei-Dou of China or the United States’ GPS. This was to counter an imminent danger coming from any one of the countries suspending their positioning services to the EU.

Another important application of Galileo is to come up with a novel global search and rescue (SAR) function, lending a helping hand to all the distressed people caught up in aerial and marine accidents. It is through this GNSS that the time taken to detect an emergency can be brought down to a mere 10 minutes from the earlier timeframe of 3 hours. That means, this facility will come to the rescue of the people in distress, whether they are trapped high up on the mountains or getting pulled into the ebb of deep waters. When it comes to rescue operations, the faster the better. This GNSS meets this pre-requisite of saving the lives of trapped people quickly.

Certain innovative start-ups and creative companies are deriving the benefits of various applications of satellite data dispersed by the space programs conducted by the EU.

A constellation refers to the group of satellites that provide information about location. Once all the 30 satellites in the Galileo’s constellation become operational, it will be able to point to users the accuracy of the signals. This is an important data point for scenarios concerning the safety of people. It should also be noted that Galileo’s navigation system provides a medium of two-way communication between the control stations on the ground and the satellites in orbit.

Last but not the least, Galileo’s positioning functionalities make their strong presence felt in a number of areas including railways, agriculture, ships, autonomous and connected vehicles, drones and Internet of Things (IoT).

GLONASS – Russia

Commissioned to provide global positioning information to its users since 1995, GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite) is a Russian space-based satellite navigation system. This system is meant to provide radio navigation satellite services.

Tagged as an alternative GPS service, GLONASS ranks second as the provider of global navigational system services with reasonable precision. If GLONASS is appended to many of the GPS navigation devices, it will favor fixing the positions of built-up areas which obstruct the flow of GPS satellites; accurately and quickly.

While the completion of the GLONASS constellation took place in 1995, the entire constellation turned non-operational by late 1990s with the loss of some satellites. However, under the presidency of Vladimir Putin, GLONASS began to regain its lost glory in the form of increased funding.

And in October 2011, the entire constellation of 24 satellites was reinstated, offering a complete global coverage. All thanks to the changed positioning of the GLONASS satellites, you can enjoy a higher degree of accuracy at high latitudes, far up in the north or south.

Key Applications of GLONASS

GLONASS combining with the capabilities of GPS finds its application in phone baseband chips sold by well-known vendors like Broadcom, Qualcomm, and Exynos.

It was in 2011 that Swepos, a network of satellite reference stations of Sweden providing real-time positioning information with meter accuracy was the first overseas company to employ the capabilities of GLONASS.

Again in 2011, GLONASS made its strong presence felt in the smartphone business. Devices that were launched in 2011 were: Samsung’s Galaxy Note and Galaxy Note II along with Sony Ericsson and Google Nexus 10 incorporated the positives of GLONASS. Tablets and smartphones that were launched in 2011 were in a position to uncover the features of high-degree accuracy and speed locking in challenging conditions.

Bei-Dou – China

Moving on to the 4^th country that operates through its indigenous satellite navigation system, BeiDou Navigation Satellite System is a contribution from China, exclusively for regional coverage. This system operates with two separate satellite constellations.

The first BeiDou system, also known as BeiDou-1 was formally named as BeiDou Satellite Navigation Experimental System. This system operated through 3 satellites that provided restricted coverage along with certain navigation services to the Chinese and the users in neighboring areas.

However BeiDou-1 could not see the light of the day by the end of 2012.

BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), also known as BeiDou-2 was the name given to the 2^nd generation of BeiDou. Colloquially called COMPASS, this system was operational in China since December 2011.

This system had 10 satellites in orbit; a partial constellation. From December 2012 onwards this system offered positioning information to users in the Asia-Pacific region.

It was in 2015 when China started developing its 3^rd generation BeiDou system (BeiDou-3) so as to make its presence felt in the global coverage constellation. Until January, BeiDou-3 successfully launched 9 satellites.

However, the target is to launch 35 satellites by 2020, with an aim to provide global positioning services. It should be noted that the BeiDou navigation system has 3 primary advantages when compared to GPS navigation systems for emergencies.

They are two-way communication (bi-directional communication) which is much more secure and highly reliable.

Interesting Applications of Bei-Dou Navigation Satellite System (BDS)

When it comes to creativity, nothing can stop the innate intellect of the Chinese. Here are some exciting applications of Bei-Dou that were churned out by Chinese firms.

China’s native Bei-Dou navigation system has some interesting uses that can simplify your everyday life. All the way from bank cards to shared bicycles, this navigation system can also help in identifying unmanned patrol vehicles.

Bank Cards – Most of the modern day bank cards consist of chips which provide the much-needed safety cover against fraudulent monetary transactions. It is through BDS that you will be in a strong position to lay hands on the exact location of every online transaction. Making the most of accurate positioning technology, you can safeguard yourself from online financial frauds.

Shared Bicycles – Since accurate positioning is significant information to riders of shared bikes, programmed chips employing the capabilities of BDS are being developed.

The capabilities of BDS can be applied to inspect the performance of all those drivers who have registered to appear for certificate tests.

The navigation technology can also be used to locate unmanned patrol vehicles in residential areas when they are fitted with monitoring cameras.

Security guards braving extreme weather conditions can rely on the positioning information shared by BDS.

Other applications of BDS include: laying of underground pipelines in urban areas and applications connected to the field of agriculture.

QZSS – Japan

The abbreviation of Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) is a Japanese project aimed at developing a four-satellite time transfer system along with a satellite-based augmentation system. Tagged as a regional coverage system, the first trial happened in September 2010 through a demonstration satellite.

The primary aim of QZSS is to offer highly stable and accurate positioning information to the Asia-Oceania region, focusing on Japan. Originally, QZSS was in the hands of the Advanced Space Business Corporation (ASBC).

However, with the dissolution of ASBC in 2007, the commissioning work was transferred to JAXA in tandem with Satellite Positioning Research and Application Center (SPAC) which was set-up in 2007.

It is a known fact that navigation functions facilitate internet browsing through smartphones and car navigation systems through the use of positioning signals coming from satellites.

QZSS humorously named Michibiki (meaning “showing the way” or “guiding”) is meant to do just that so that users can detect the current location using satellite positioning services.

Since most of the satellite positioning services employ the capabilities of USA’s GPS satellites, QZSS will become a four-satellite constellation in 2018 when teamed with GPS.

It is an important piece of information to note that three of QZSS’ satellites can be visible at all times from any of the locations linked to the Asia-Oceania regions. With these visible satellites in place, all those businesses which thrive on spatial and geographical data points can expand and grow.

Proposed Applications of QZSS

Intending to meet the positioning needs of civilians, Michibiki is aiming to offer a positioning accuracy close to inches.
As mentioned earlier, satellite geo-location systems will help civilians to carry out internet browsing on their smartphones alongside making car navigation a breeze.
Japan, a country known for its unforgiving and rough mountains can experience an obstruction to GPS signals. It is for this very reason that QZSS can complement the US operated GPS to provide positioning signals even on mountains.
Japan has a plan to set-up a constellation of 7 satellites by 2023.

Closing Thoughts

While it is very interesting to note that the GPS of United States of America operates 32 medium Earth Orbit satellites in six different orbits, The USA is a nation that utilizes plenty of resources offered by satellite navigation systems.

Next in line are the 5 countries that were discussed in detail. GPS and GLONASS come across as global navigation systems in which India, Japan and China are the countries that operate regional navigation systems so as to facilitate many businesses in different niches.

8 School Bus Games You Can Download Now On Android

Posted on August 22, 2018 by TSB Super Admin

If you have a craze for school bus games, there are hundreds of options available on Android. Driving games have always been popular among players. But school bus games add more attachment and indulge you in a personal way.

This article has the best school bus games that you can download on Android.

1. City School Bus Coach Simulator

With a combination of city bus, school bus and other buses, this simulator game offers satisfaction to your bus riding wishes. You get to drive multiple buses and coach. The rush on the roads and the responsibility of pick up and drop off make this simulator more interesting than other school bus games.

The best features of this game include multi-angle camera view. Advanced 3D graphics that give realistic views of the virtual city. Players can complete levels to attain new buses and enjoy more advanced simulator experiences.

2. High School Bus Driving 3D

Another simulation game that satisfies your school bus driving desires. The fun and energetic levels of this game allow you to become a disciplined citizen and understand the responsibilities in traffic. The tasks change with levels you complete and so is the difficulty.

As a driver in the game, you are required to go to various bus stops and pick children. Traffic rules are presented in monitor and follow. The game notifies when you need to blow horn. Using indicators and maintaining a safe speed is also included in the rules of this app game.

Game quality and graphics’ appeal create an engaging environment to play. You learn a lot about the city environment, school bus driving and following traffic rules.

3. City School Bus Drive Fun

This game shows a luxurious school bus that moves from one part of the city to others. This game is a blend of time management, driving, and coaching. With 3D graphics, this bus driving game offers enjoyable moments on the school bus. The tracks that are offered seem challenging, which also improve the engagement. You can win laps by completing trails provided as challenges.

Dodging high traffic on the roads becomes a great challenge. This school bus game is more adventurous than many other choices in this category.

4. Flying School Bus

A different approach to school bus game is possible with game. This free Android game offers flying experience when you ride the virtual school bus.

As you fly your bus, the challenges become different compared to other school bus games. For instance, this game presents extreme conditions of weather, which you have to conquer. The same game also offers helicopter, airplane and other flying experiences as well.

The graphics feel as if you are in the future when school buses have started flying. You can take your school bus game love to a new level and feel like a pilot. The views look beautiful and provide extreme situations to bring thrill in the game.

5. Hill School Bus

An uphill location increases the toughness of a driving game, especially when you have a large vehicle to drive. Driving a heavy bus to its ultimate destination is the task you need to fulfill. The hill area presents sharp turns in the beautiful view of the surroundings. Every successful driver drops children safely to their home.

The path to the destinations can seem crazy, but they all add excitement to the experience. In fact, the routes in this game are the most powerful feature that makes it different. You feel thrilled to control the bus when taking sharp turns.

6. Modern City School Bus Simulator

In an urban city environment, you get to drive a school bus, manage parking, and handle passengers in a virtual yet realistic way. The paths can seem moderately difficult, but they all align with the real city traffic scenarios. Your ultimate task is to pick up and drop off students to and from schools.

The big city environment and smooth control systems impress you more with effective sounds attached to the scenarios.

7. School Bus Driver 3D Simulator

TapinatorInc included some crazy missions with school bus driving simulations. This way, the game reaches to a whole new level. From the front seat, you get to explore the road without getting into messy traffic situations. Obstacles are critical and require focus, otherwise, you may face crash.

There are 30 fun missions with challenges that you will enjoy. The realistic traffic and top-notch sound effects make you more engaged in the game.

8. Off Road School Bus

What happens when a school bus goes off the road?! You can explore this idea through Off Road School Bus Android game. The challenges in this game include off-road trails that make bus handling more difficult and adventurous. Road hurdles become crazier and you face certain limitations due to the off road trails.

A school bus doesn’t act like a monster truck. Hence, driving a bus on these roads requires a responsible nature and you have to follow some rules to keep your bus on the track.

The game offers a touch steering, tilts steering, and buttons to use when driving. The traffic has been designed with AI, which creates realistic scenarios when you use brakes or take turns.

These are the best and unique school bus games available on Android. You can choose any one that seems more suitable to your wish.

TrackSchoolBus Smart Bands Ensure Your Kid’s Safety

Posted on August 20, 2018 by TSB Super Admin

When it comes to the safety and security of school children, there are umpteen modern alternatives that come in as blessings. While GPS tracking attached to school buses is one of the safety means, you can also look at the options of equipping your kids with safety watches or wristbands.

These safety devices help you keep a close watch on the whereabouts of your kids; whether at school or out on a school excursion with teachers and schoolmates. These devices provide the much-needed information about the exact location of your kids.

If you are the parent of a small kid who does not know how to use a smartphone or all those kids who cannot clearly express themselves, smart bands come as their protectors.

This blog sheds light on all the ways in which smart bands from TrackSchoolBus ensure the safety of young kids.

Smart Bands from TrackSchoolBus – The Safety Wearables for School Kids

TrackSchoolBus is one of the leading providers of wearable tracking devices to kids. This noble initiative offers modern and innovative ideas to protect your school-going kids.

The Smart Bands offered by TrackSchoolBus are embedded with geo-fencing features which come up with alerts about the location changes of your kids.

All thanks to the multipurpose geo-fencing capability of these safety bands, you can keep a close watch on your kids who are out on a school excursion or even while they are in the school premises. Along with assisting you track your kids, the geo-fencing software steps in to record the attendance of your kids.

Heave a Sigh of Relief with Smart Bands from TrackSchoolBus

If you are a parent contemplating to sign up with TrackSchoolBus for securing smart bands for your kids, you can check out this long list of benefits offered by these smart devices.

For your convenience, you can look at these benefits under two heads: functional benefits and operational benefits.

Functional Benefits:

Real-Time Tracking Feature: This feature deserves a special mention because of their ability to perform real-time tracking. Let them go on a school picnic or sit within the four walls of a classroom, these Smart Bands provide you with real-time tracking details.
Instant Alerts Avert Mishaps: Parents and school authorities who have signed up with TrackSchoolBus for the supply of smart bands can benefit from instant alerts. The tracking software installed in these smart devices throws up alerts which pop-up on the screens of your smartphones. The geo-fencing alerts specify the real-time location of your kid.
Tracking Perimeter: The Smart Bands provide accurate information within a range of 20 m to 30 m.
Lay Hands on The Last Tracked Location: The smart bands from TrackSchoolBus help you recognize the last tracked location.
Error-Free Location Details: With the TrackSchoolBus smart bands by your side, there is no scope for any errors. You can enjoy error-free location details of your kids at all times. That means, these are brilliant safety devices that are exclusively meant to protect your school-going kids from any sort of eventuality.

Operational Benefits:

Durability: You will always look for the durability of electronic gadgets. With this primary objective in mind, smart bands from TrackSchoolBus come with a minimum 12-month battery life, without needing to connect them to a charger.
Extended Life Coming from Resistance to Water and Grime: Kids are known to be messy and careless. Keeping these two innate tendencies of young children in mind, these smart bands made in such a way that they are 100% resistant to water and grime.
Additional Features: Every Smart Band comes with Bluetooth and location sensing features.
Independent of Operating System: This Smart Band can be connected to your Android or iOS-powered smart phones.
Global Presence: Another advantage that makes the Smart Bands of TrackSchoolBus unique is linked to their global presence. You can pick up these Smart Bands from most of the countries.
Independent of Wi-Fi or Cellular Data Connection: Fret no more if your Wi-Fi or cellular data connectivity is lost. You can still track your kids’ location using the Bluetooth feature.
Affordability: TrackSchoolBus offers these Smart Bands to all concerned at affordable prices.
Size Variants: The Smart Bands come in three sizes. A small Smart Band comes with a 13 cm diameter. A medium Smart Band measures 14 cm and 15 cm as the diameter of the large Smart Band.

Key Takeaways

There is no dearth for safety mechanisms meant to protect school kids. A modern and viable option is to provide young kids with wearables in the form of smart bands.

When your kids wear these safety devices on their wrists, you can have a sigh of relief about their well-being. Practically replacing RFID cards which can pose operational issues to kids, Smart Bands from TrackSchoolBus can protect kids from accidents and mishaps.

You can not only track your kids but also restrict their movements as and when the need arises.

How to Properly Organize and Manage School Field Trip

Posted on August 16, 2018 by TSB Super Admin

Planning a field trip and knowing exactly how to go about doing it is an essential skill. The idea of field trips works excellently for both the teachers and students.

While the idea is to take students out of the classroom and help them experience some real-life learning, it is also beneficial for teachers as they got to know a student’s interest.

It is no wonder that school boards these days have become increasingly cautious about allowing field trips. If planned well then a field trip can indeed be a memorable and meaningful experience for everyone involved!

Planning and Organizing a Field Trip

Some of the below mentioned stages can be a good guide on how to organize and plan a school trip:

Decide where to go and think about places that enhance and reinforce your curriculum goals.
Ask your administrator and jot some notes before presenting the idea. Tell her why you want to go, where you want to go, what dates you are thinking of, and what the cost will be.
Arrange for transportation and decide how you are going to get the little kids there and back.
Decide on where and when you will stop for meals. Some of the common options available are either everyone including children bringing their own lunch, or stopping at a restaurant or café on or off sight.
Make a plan and understand the time that each activity takes to perform keeping the interest and attention span of students in mind.
Arrange for supervision depending on the number of students going for the trip and number of adults needed in order to handle the children. This also varies depending on the behaviour of age and maturity of the students.
Create a permission form that includes all the necessary details about the field trip, like the date, time, venue, pick-up, drop-off, food to be carried, money to be carried, dress code if any and other such details that is necessary for parents to know before they sign and give their children the permission.
Tie in the field trip with the student’s curriculum by deciding the kind of assignment and learning that can be done on the trip. This usually requires pre-learning and background reading to be done by the teachers.

Tips for Field Trip Behavior Management

While planning a field trip, teachers are usually worried about kid’s behaviour outside the school premises as they don’t how they are likely to behave outside the school setting. Some tips that teachers must remember while planning for a school field trip are:

If some students have significant trouble meeting the behaviour expectations on a day-to-day basis, they should hold a frank discussion regarding the same with the parents.
Always think of an alternative plan for students that you think would not be able to cope with the trip circumstances.
Tell students they are under observation a week before the trip and reward the ones that behave appropriately as this will also give them an insight about the kind of behaviour that is expected from them.
Keep into consideration the medication schedule of kids from their parents
Hold an open discussion with students about the purpose of the trip and expectations of their roles and responsibilities on the same.
Consider keeping a low teacher-student ratio to reduce chances of mishaps

Field Trip Safety Tips for Teachers

While taking children on a field trip, teachers have a huge responsibility of their safety. And as children are usually not so responsible and old enough to be at their best behaviours, teachers must keep a tab of the below tips as they are helpful in ensuring student safety:

Make students get their parents’ signature on a no-objection form which gives the school permission to take children on a field trip
Divide children into groups and assign a monitor to be able to give equal attention to all students and avoid mishaps.
Inform children about the place they are going to visit and prepare them about what they are going to be doing there.
Educate children about the safety tips for the trip and let them know who they are supposed to reach out to when they need any help.
Let the students know they are going to be divided into groups and also let them know who they are going to be with so that they can be comfortable around the people.
Choose a safe transport. Instead of hiring private vehicles, school buses that children travel are safer and more preferred during field trips.
Carry a first aid kit and also water and juices in case to avoid students from feeling dehydrated and low on energy

Here's a video of how teachers can able to track students while on a school field trip or an excursion

Field Trip Rules for Elementary School Students

For students of elementary school going for a field trip, certain rules are mandatory that make trip a pleasurable experience for all like:

Be along with your group at all times
Respect what the monitor says and obey her commands
Help keep noise and confusion at a minimum
Know who to talk about any problems that you are facing
Help others in your group
Take care of your belongings and do not indulge in any inappropriate behaviour while on the trip
Discuss if there is any problem with the teacher
Abstain from using any foul language or showing any disrespect

Field Trip Rules for Middle School Students

Just like students of elementary school, it is very essential for students of middle school to follow rules and regulations as the middle school usually have trips that are for more than just a day and usually are outside the city.

This makes it more important for them to abide by the rules to ensure their safety. The students must remember to:

Stick to the instructions given by teachers and chaperones courteously and respectfully
Keep the transport vehicle, hostel or hotel room clean at all times
Not go beyond the mentioned boundaries of the place they are staying at
Strictly adhere to the time lines and report on time, as suggested by teachers.
Carry appropriate clothes according to the weather and the place
Not ride any form of public transportation during their free time
Make no excessive noise in hotel or the hostel through music or shouting
Follow the buddy system and leave no student alone in his or her hotel room

Impact of Field Trip on the School Environment

A field trip is one of the best tools that we can use to provide every student with real-world experiences.

By taking children out once in a while where they begin to see that what they learn within the classroom walls, schools promote a more efficient way of learning for the students.

It helps them solve the problems they see in the world around them and can have a direct impact on who they become as people. Field trips make learning relatable and faster for students making the school environment more lively and interactive.

Therefore, encouraging school trips is promoting a better learning program for schools and also enabling a healthy development amongst students making them more self-aware and confident.

How to Secure Wheelchair-Bound Students in a School Bus

Posted on July 27, 2018 by TSB Super Admin

When it comes to transporting disabled students, school bus driver has an important role to play. As some students are wheelchair bound, they need proper secure to and from schools.

But there is always a question on how to handle these students in a proper way without causing any kind to harm to them.

School employees are equally responsible for the safety of wheelchair-bound students from entering their school to reaching their home.

Driver

Usually, school bus drivers have the responsibility of transporting students with special needs to and from school via school bus. Some schools employ a bus attendant or a monitor to help students with disability to board and de-board the school buses.

Both these people should ensure that they know precisely how to do this securely and in a well manner.

Parent

While waiting for the school bus, parents of the wheelchair-bound students are supposed to ensure that their disabled kids are at the curb punctually with the suitable equipment.

They have to oversee the student until the arrival of their school bus. And also parents should be present at the pickup points earlier to the arrival of school bus.

Parents may need to help the kid with boarding them onto the school bus, fasten the wheelchair or seat belt.

It is still the liability of the driver of the school bus to verify and ensure the student, as well as the wheelchair, is secured well prior to moving the bus.

Teacher

The responsibilities of teachers in securing the wheelchair-bound students are same as those of the parents.

They are responsible to meet the students upon arrival at their school and to get them at the pick-up place promptly and oversee the students until the departure of the school bus.

Bus attendant

Bus attendants are also equally responsible for the safest transportation of wheelchair-bound students.

In the bus, the attendant is allotted to help all students. While on the school bus, the attendant is generally under the control of school bus driver.

Loading and Unloading of Wheelchair-Bound Students

General guidelines

When the student is in the wheelchair, he or she should face away from the bus at all times. The brakes, as well as the roll stops of wheelchair should be in locked condition.

Loading process

First, the lift door should be opened and secured. The wheelchair can be unfolded by using a hand-held control. Now the platform should be lowered pending it rests completely on the ground.

Now the student can be gently positioned on the wheelchair by unfolding the outboard roll stop and fastening the seat belt of wheelchair around the student. Ensure that the student faces away from the bus.

Securing in the bus

Once the student is safely secured in the school bus, check once again if the brakes and the roll stops of the device are in locked position. Now, turn off the power of device and if possible, have the wheelchair student cling to the handrails.

Help the student to keep his or her legs and arms within the lift quarter and ahead of the moving parts.

Now, activate the lift controls and stand beside the platform at the corner in the front. Continue to keep one hand on the device while it is lifting and then activate the controls of wheelchair through other hand.

Once the platform attains the floor level, hang up or set down the controls. Now, release the brakes of the wheelchair and gently push it into the school bus. Now, by setting brakes of device, fold the lift into journey position.

Position the wheelchair student consistent with the Individualized Education Program (IEP). Move the student to a usual forward facing the bus seat by using appropriate lifting methods and make student as well as wheelchair safe.

Unloading of the wheelchair student

While unloading a wheelchair student with a power-driven wheelchair, it should be ensured that the student is not supposed to drive onto the platform, except cleared to perform so by the whole IEP team. Now, switch off the motor and push the wheelchair manually onto the platform.

During the loading and unloading process, do not forget to inform the wheelchair student about what you are going to do, prior to doing it.

Securing the wheelchair-bound students

It is always safe for the wheelchair bound students to use a three-point system while boarding school bus. While the wheelchair-bound students are boarding the school bus, it is always safe by using a three-point system.

The restraint system of the occupants is separate from the secure system of the wheelchair. The three-point system protects the torso as well as the pelvis of the disabled students.

While attaching the restraint system, it can be joined to the anchorage points of the school bus. The system can also be attached to the securement system of device, device itself, or by following the instructions of the of wheelchair manufacturers.

Above all, the school bus driver is supposed to consider the appropriate place to stop the bus to load and unload the wheelchair-bound students easily and safely.

Two Factor Attendence is a feature in TrackSchoolBus app provides confirmation to parents and schools whether students arrived to / from school on time.

Finally

Wheelchair students are needed to be transported in a school bus only in the forward-facing direction. They should be appropriately secured with the three-point pelvic and shoulder as well as with the four-point dock restraint system.

Several school buses come attached with a frame, as well, for attaching the tie-down straps. School management should make sure that their buses are properly prepared to transport wheelchair-bound kids to and from school in a safe and comfortable way.

The school management should also pay attention to consider adding extra safety measures into their school buses to transport these disabled students.

How to Track Students During a School Excursion

Posted on July 25, 2018 by TSB Super Admin

Few school-related activities generate the kind of enthusiasm and lifelong memories than a school excursion. But well-planned excursions provide new learning to students that they cannot get through textbooks alone. However, the mere thought of a school excursion strikes fears into many teachers’ hearts. It has the potential to create nightmares for them.

If you, as a teacher, have ever taken children on an excursion, you would have experienced it. The most terrifying experience is often one or a couple of students getting lost during the excursion. The aim of this post is to provide you with different options you can consider to keep track of the students during a school excursion.

Having said that here are a few options you can make use of to keep track of your students during the excursion:

#1: Create Chaperone Groups

When creating chaperone groups, it is best to maintain a ratio of 15:1 for upper primary and high school students. The ratio should be lower for primary students. Further, you must plan the groups in a strategic manner. The attention seeking behaviour of a student that causes a lot of trouble in the school would only increase when you take him/her on a trip.

If it is possible, you can ask one of the child’s parents to chaperone. Whenever you take a break, a teacher chaperone is a better option than a parent chaperone when it comes to taking care of challenging students.

However, it is important to prepare the chaperones well. The names of all the students in a group and their mobile phone numbers, if allowed, should be available with each chaperone.

Further, you must ensure that each chaperone has the emergency contact number saved on their mobile phone. The chaperones should be briefed on student behaviour expectations and sensitized to immediately report any violations.

#2: Emergency Bracelets

You can provide each chaperone and student with a wearable silicone bracelet. The emergency contact number can either be printed or written using a permanent marker on the bracelet. There are a number of vendors out there in the market who could provide silicone bracelets for a paltry amount.

If you are taking the help of a professional student excursion organizer, the company will most likely provide a bracelet for each participant with the emergency contact number printed on it.

When working with professional student excursion organizers, calls to the emergency contact number will always be answered by a representative of the company. He or she will then contact you.

If you are organizing the excursion on your own, you should identify a person who could be contacted in the event of an emergency. The emergency contact person should have the names and mobile phone numbers of all the chaperones and students.

#3: T-shirts

It is a good idea to make your students use same colour t-shirts when you go on an excursion. This is very helpful when travelling with large numbers of kids, especially to popular places. It can be visually very helpful at the time of gathering the students. Custom printed and bright coloured t-shirts that are best for the group can be sourced to help simplify your life.

#4: Re-count

Chaperones should be made responsible for counting their group members. Then a leader in the bus should be given the responsibility of re-counting to double check. This is because a student can always sneak into a bathroom near the exit after the final count at the lobby. So, counting again when seated on the bus always helps.

You can actually make counting a fun activity. If you are on a multi-day excursion, you can assign a number to each student from the back of the bust to the front. Students can call out their numbers instead of the leader doing a head count. It is so much fun and the re-counting gets done rather quickly.

#5: Buddy System

Each student should be asked to stick with a buddy throughout the excursion. This should include even waiting outside when one is using the bathroom. It is always better to have two students trying to determine as to how they lost track of the group than one panicky kid doing it alone. If there are odd numbers of student in a group, then it is a good idea to make three-member teams.

#6: Clearly Specify the Meeting Spot and Time

Choose a prominent location at the destination for reconvening after the visit. You should also clearly specify the time when the groups should assemble at the spot.

In order to make sure that the students remember the surroundings and time clearly, you can do the following:

You can ask them to look around the meeting spot to help them identify the area quickly. It is always better to meet near an entrance, a sign, or a colourful large object.
You can also ask the students to shout back or loudly repeat the name of the place and reconvening time at least thrice so that it gets ingrained in their minds.

#7: Make use of electronic reminders

If the chaperones and students are allowed to carry mobile phones, then you can remind the students by way of a text message.

#8: Set expectations clearly

A week before the excursion, the previous day, and just before getting out of the bus, you must make it a point to review behavioural expectations with your students. In addition to sounding serious, you must explain the consequences of improper behaviour.

Take the effort to ingrain in their minds that they are not only representing their school but also the community and that they put up their best behaviour at all times.

Check Out Excursion Management Software from TrackSchoolBus

In conclusion, taking the school students on an excursion is a responsible job. However, it can be a rewarding experience. Make use of some of the tracking options listed above as applicable in your specific situation. You will be better equipped to track students during a school excursion.

20 Ways to Introduce School Bus Safety

Posted on July 13, 2018 by TSB Super Admin

School buses are the safest mode of transportation for students to travel to and from their schools. The safety of school buses starts with recruiting qualified drivers and offering them the required training on traffic regulations and on handling the buses safely. School districts should make them understand their responsibility in transporting the school students safely to and from their schools.

Drivers also play an important role in ensuring school bus safety. So while choosing school bus driver, you must be very careful and selective. This is the most vital factor that every school district is supposed to consider while focusing on their school bus safety.

Here are the other 20 ways that a school management can focus on improving the safety of their school buses.

1. Speed Restriction

The transportation division of every school should instruct their drivers not to drive their school bus beyond the specified speed limit. This can be monitored easily by installing a GPS tracking system on their school buses.

2. Unoccupied back seats

If possible, the last two seat rows at the back of the bus can be made empty. This will keep kids free of wounds due to back collisions.

3. Three-Bus Rule

This means that the bus attendant should allow three students at a time for boarding their buses. This practice is particularly important at traffic-prone bus stops. This is because kids are more susceptible to be wounded while getting in and getting out of bus in these areas.

5. Signal

School bus drivers are supposed to signal school kids when the time is safe and suitable for them to cross the road while boarding their buses. Parents should also educate their kids on crossing the road safety.

6. Turning Techniques

School administration should educate their drivers on handling their buses safely during the bends to avoid kids falling down from their seats. This will also prevent the bus from knocking down the oncoming vehicles.

7. Clean floor

School districts should emphasize their bus drivers to keep the floor of the bus clean. This will prevent kids from skidding and being wounded.

8. Seating

Both bus attendants and drivers should ensure that the school kids are appropriately seated. This means that they should check that no part of the kids’ body is projecting the seating aisle.

9. Safe bus stops

School bus drivers have to take utmost care in bus stops where no cars or other vehicles are parked. This can be hazardous not only for students but also for drivers.

10. Distraction

The maximum safety of school bus mainly counts on continuing focused and staying away from disruptions. If students come across any problems in the bus, the driver should first resolve those problems to avoid unnecessary distractions while driving the bus.

12. Safety rules

Communicating the school bus regulations with kids, particularly new occupants, is the key to preserve an organized, safe setting on and around the school bus.

13. School bus backing

School bus drivers should take utmost care while backing their buses. If necessary, they should examine the road in front for any condition that might cause them to back. This can avoid accidental clash with the vehicle standing behind their school bus.

14. Escorting kids

School bus students are more susceptible when they are outside the bus, mostly when they have to cross the road. In such cases, school bus attendants or drivers should escort kids across the road to ensure safety.

15. Driver responsibility

Drivers should drive their school buses with the maximum responsibility. They should communicate with their transport manager whenever there are changes in the road or bus stops.

16. Tipping the drivers

School administrators are supposed to offer useful and helpful tips to their drivers every morning on driving their buses safely. This will remind them about overall school bus safety.

17. Bullying

Bullying is one of the things happens in the school bus. This is because school kids are more vulnerable to bullying when they are in the bus rather than outside. So, to avoid these, school districts should educate bus staff on how to handle these situations in a well manner.

18. Bus check

Both the attendants and drivers should check their school bus whether any kid is still inside the bus after the completion of trip. Therefore, the best way to avoid this problem is marking attendance of kids when they enter and exit their bus.

19. Safety Vests

School management should instruct the school bus drivers and attendants to wear the reflective security vests. This will allow them to perk up protection in school bus lots.

20. Evacuation training

School administration should offer necessary training to their school bus students on the way to evacuate their school buses if any untoward incident happens. This is important for the elementary level students.