School Bus Fleet, July 2017

OBrien said that the idea is to provide more visibility for drivers and another level of protection for students outside the bus He noted that his stop arm concept also includes four additional lights two apiece on the two extra signs Its going to light up like a Christmas tree he said OBrien said that he has patented the design and hes looking to license it to a manufacturer so I can get it out as soon as possible He estimates that the price of the proposed product would be about 30 more than that of a standard stop arm The goal OBrien added is to increase safety around school buses by preventing drivers from making the same mistake he did There is a danger of a side approach If you can approach a bus from the side you need to be warned Hey you need to stop he said The last thing you need around a school bus is a confused driver To watch a video that illustrates OBriens stop arm concept and includes his contact information go to schoolbusfleet com Jul17c same confusion that he did Accordingly he explored ways to display the stop message to drivers when they are perpendicular to the bus Ive done a lot of product design he said Im a problem solver Im of the belief that everything can be improved upon The concept that OBrien came up with is a three part stop arm When activated one sign would swing out 180 degrees one would come out the standard 90 degrees and one would stay in its place The first and third signs would then be facing out to the side while the second sign would be facing the front and back of the bus like current stop arms 12 SCHOOL BUS FLEET JULY 2017 WWW SCHOOLBUSFLEET COM NEWS School Bus Passing Mishap Sparks Idea for Side View Stop Arm After accidentally passing a stopped school bus illegally Mark OBrien came up with a stop arm design that aims to increase visibility for motorists approaching from the side as seen in this rendering WESTCHESTER COUNTY N Y Mark OBriens idea for a new stop arm design came from an unsettling personal experience He accidentally passed a stopped school bus illegally OBrien a tool and die maker by trade is a native of Ireland who has lived in New York for the past 30 years About seven years ago OBrien had stopped for a cup of coffee at a 7 Eleven in Yonkers New York As he prepared to pull out of the parking lot his car was perpendicular to a stopped school bus across the street He said he saw nothing indicating that he shouldnt proceed so he turned left out of the parking lot I went to make my left and the school bus driver blew his horn at me OBrien recalled I thought Whats wrong with this guy Then he looked in his rearview mirror and saw what he said he couldnt see from the side of the bus The stop arm was out As he reflected on his unintentional illegal passing OBrien realized the potential risk of the situation Had a child walked in front of the bus something terrible may have happened he said OBrien who has two school age sons and an older daughter set out to devise a solution to the issue that he experienced He found that because some school bus stops are opposite driveways or parking lot exits many other motorists face the Had a child walked in front of the bus something terrible may have happened Mark OBrien Westchester County New York By Thomas McMahon OBriens concept is a three part stop arm When activated two of the signs would be facing out from the side of the bus The other sign would be facing the front and back like current stop arms