LOS ANGELES — Public Transportation Safety International Corp. (PTS) is introducing a new solution that it says is designed to eliminate the danger zone gap that surrounds the dual rear wheels of a school bus.

The Minimize Danger Zone Shield (MDZ SHIELD) is a one-piece BASF polyurethane guard that acts as a safeguard in front of the dual rear wheels, and is easily and quickly mounted to the side panel of the bus. This lessens both material and labor costs, while making it easily visible for inspection, company officials said.

“The majority of school buses have a rocker panel sitting approximately two feet from the ground, so the S-1 GARD used for transit buses would be cost-prohibitive due to the heavy mounting brackets, yet the risk of exposure on a school bus is worse because of its height. I was consumed with guilt for not figuring this out earlier,” said Mark Barron, founder of PTS and inventor of the device. “This [the MDZ SHIELD] is finally a solution where lives can be saved at minimal cost.”

PTS was founded in 1993 and has since been selling the S-1 GARD Dangerzone Deflector, a physical barrier covering a vehicle’s right rear tires, to the mass transit industry. Since mid-2010, PTS and manufacturer Pacific Metal Fab have been working to schedule a meeting with a school bus OEM, with an overall goal of making the MDZ SHIELD an industry-mandated safety product.

Bus builders are able to manufacture the body modification, an avenue that will be more effective than selling the product directly to school districts, which in the past has proven too costly due to budget restraints, the company said.

For new bus orders or more information on the MDZ SHIELD, contact Krista Barry, operations director, at (213) 489-1443 or kristabarry@mdzshield.com.