Many school bus operators are retrofitting their buses with light-emitting diode technology (LED) lights, which can provide enhanced visibility, adding to the time that motorists have to react to a stopped school bus. To further increase safety, one supplier has also designed its LEDs to automatically shut off when they no longer pass FMVSS 108.

LEDs are also a more affordable option when compared to incandescent lights, due to their lower operating costs. 

Here, suppliers share advantages such as these and other updates on their LED offerings.

Safe Fleet
Safe Fleet’s Specialty Lo Profile LED Strobe light has a high peak intensity rating at horizontal and low angles for maximum driver visibility, according to the company.

The class 2, 3-inch light is available as a single or double flash and has a five-year warranty. A potted circuit board requires no maintenance and offers greater product life and lower cost of ownership, company officials said. In addition, the plastic base and rubber gasket are designed to easily adapt to various roof surfaces, and a pole or roof mount makes the light applicable to all types of vehicles.
 

SoundOff Commercial Vehicle Products
SoundOff Commercial Vehicle Products now offers a new line of competitively priced LED beacons specifically for school bus applications, company officials said.

The 4300 Series 10-30V Class 2 LED beacons are SAE J845 compliant, have advanced optical technology and superior light distribution, which enables high visibility for motorists approaching the bus.

Available in either 3.78-inch low- or 5.2-inch high-dome with a white or amber lens, they have three programmable flash patterns: dual, quad or simulated rotating. Additionally, a metal branch guard and universal adaptor plate is available for easy retrofit applications.
 
TRP
TRP offers a complete lineup of LED lights for school buses, including TRP LED lights and SoundOff Commercial Vehicle Products lights. TRP LED lights are competitively priced, reliable and warrantied for 10 years, company officials said.

LED light retrofits are one of many safety improvements school bus operators are making. Studies have shown LED lights increase visibility and improve the time other motorists have to react to a stopped bus. LED lights also reduce operating costs over incandescent lights.

TRP parts and services for buses are available at authorized TRP retailers nationwide.
 
UltraLED
The smartLED eliminates out-of-service criteria completely by illuminating the individual appearance of each diode, which creates a single light source effect as seen in halogen and incandescent lighting, still offering the benefit of LED technology. The smartLED is programmed to shut off when the light no longer passes FMVSS 108. These two features combined eliminate the guesswork involved in determining whether an LED light is in service. Additionally, UltraLED products are now available through Prevost.

Weldon
The 1020-9000 Series is an eco-friendly LED Warning Lamp that combines advanced electronics plus a conventional idea of serviceable parts. Patented V-LED diodes are field upgradeable, allowing the user to benefit from future LED technology without replacing the entire lamp. Users can simply thread the V-LED into the circuit board for quick installation.

With Weldon’s family of LED serviceable warning, stop, turn and tail, and dome lamps, customers can easily service or replace a broken cover lens while it is  directly on the vehicle for simplified maintenance. Lamps can be disassembled for easy replacement of serviceable parts, reducing vehicle downtime and the expense of replacing the entire fixture.

The LED Warning Lamp is designed to provide low life cycle cost, and up to 10 times the typical savings over the life of the vehicle can be realized by utilizing sustainable LED light technology.