SAFE FLEET BLOG

In Part 2 of our stop-arm camera customer success stories we interviewed a Canadian School District in Wainwright, AB, who began testing Seon’s new stop-arm camera system in January of 2013.  Transportation Director Chrysti Mannix gave us some insight on how she used footage from her new stop-arm camera system to convince law enforcement to work together with her on the problem.

Part 2: Camera Footage Proves Stop-arm Violation Problem to Local Law Enforcement

Chrysti Mannix
Transportation Director | Buffalo Trails Public Schools
Wainwright, AB CANADA

For one Alberta Transportation Director, Chrysti Mannix of Buffalo Trails Public schools, stop-arm violators have always been a problem.  But the severity of the problem in her district came to light last January when a bus driver on one particular route recorded thirteen ‘fly-bys’.

Getting local law enforcement (Wainwright’s RCMP detachment) to recognize and address the problem was also an issue.  Documenting license plate numbers was difficult for bus drivers and not always possible.  Without verifiable license plate numbers and documented evidence, the RCMP indicated there was little they could do.  “The local RCMP basically told me that without a verifiable license plate number, there really was nothing they could do,” Mannix shared.

Mannix reached out to Seon for a solution to the problem using camera technology.  Installing one of Seon’s most advanced DVRs and a high-definition 720p stop-arm camera, Mannix was able to capture video footage of three separate stop-arm violation events with clear pictures of the offending vehicles’ license plates.  Showing this footage to law enforcement proved to be a turning point, and convinced RCMP there was a real problem.  They agreed to work with Buffalo Trails Public School Transportation to combat the stop-arm violation issue by issuing tickets to the registered vehicle owners based on the license plates captured by the Seon stop-arm camera.

Mannix continues to operate the stop-arm camera system and records violations on the same problem route first identified last year.  When a violation occurs, the bus driver must submit a detailed report of the event’s particulars, including date, time, and location.  School transportation staff members pull video from that timeframe and create a still image of the vehicle’s license plate, and then submit this along with the bus driver’s report to the RCMP for processing and issuing tickets.

When asked about the success of the program in reducing stop-arm violations, Mannix admitted it is still a problem.  But she believes the presence of the cameras, coupled with a comprehensive public awareness program, has produced a decline in the number of violations.

As budgets and funding permits Buffalo Trails Public Schools have plans to add stop-arm cameras to additional buses in their fleet.

Watch this video comparing a license plate image captured with high-definition vs. an analog camera to see the difference in image clarity!