Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, August 3, 1995 TAG: 9508030026
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
School officials have decided not to install motion sensors because they are not foolproof and have dead spots where they can't detect a child's movement.
"We are concerned that they could give a false sense of security to drivers and parents," said Robert Woolwine, transportation supervisor for county schools.
Woolwine said the county has asked Delco Enterprises, manufacturer of the motion sensors, to keep it informed as the technology improves and the detection equipment becomes more reliable.
"The sensors have some good points, and I think they will come up with something that will work," he said. "It's just going to take more time."
The county tested sensors on two buses after the fatal accident, and Woolwine said Wednesday that the drivers weren't convinced that they improved safety.
"We drove the buses and observed the children. My drivers were not sold on them," Woolwine said. The detectors "need to be more precise and accurate."
The sensors trigger an alarm and a light to alert the driver to the movement of a child around the bus, particularly in areas where the driver's vision is blocked.
The county buses were tested with two sensors: one under the front bumper; and one under the bus on the right side, between the door and rear wheel.
But Woolwine said the sensors can't detect a child who is walking directly to the bus door from the curb.
"There are several feet on the right side where you don't pick up anything," he said. The manufacturer is considering adding a second sensor on the right side as part of the system.
If coverage is desired for the left side and rear of the bus, two additional sensors are required.
The county decided to test the sensors after 5-year-old Shayla Worley died when she was run over by the rear wheels of a bus in March.
The child got off the bus and started up the steps to her home. Then she turned, ran back toward the bus, fell and was run over.
The driver was not charged, but he took the rest of the school year off. The child's family did not blame him for her death.
Woolwine said the sensors probably would not have saved Shayla because the system cuts off when the bus door is closed and the wheels move.
Still, the county tested the sensors to see if they might help prevent other accidents.
Delco Electronics allowed the county to test the sensors free. The sensors cost $1,195 per bus.
The motion-sensor technology was developed by Hughes Aircraft for military planes. Hughes and General Motors own Delco Electronics, which has its headquarters in Indiana.
Roanoke city has bought two buses equipped with the sensors and will test them during the next school year.
Charlottesville, Newport News and Henrico County also have tested the sensors and will install them on some buses
Instead of motion detectors, Roanoke County will install mirrors on all buses to enable drivers to see children in front of buses as well as on both sides.
Forty buses bought since 1992 already are equipped with the curved mirrors, which give drivers a view of children approaching and leaving the bus.
"You can see all the way down the sides of the buses. The drivers like them," Woolwine said.
Woolwine said the mirrors will be installed on 120 buses that were bought before 1992, including the one involved in the Vinton accident. He said it will cost about $100 per bus to install them.
by CNB