School Bus Fleet
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Safe Fleet Demos Stop-Arm Tech on Anniversary of Fatal School Bus Crash

The safety solutions supplier demonstrates its Predictive Stop Arm in Laurel, Miss., on the 10-year anniversary of a crash that killed a 5-year-old boy.

December 11, 2019
Safe Fleet Demos Stop-Arm Tech on Anniversary of Fatal School Bus Crash

Safe Fleet demonstrated its Predictive Stop Arm in Laurel, Miss., on the 10-year anniversary of a crash that killed a 5-year-old boy. Shown here is Mike Schulte, Safe Fleet's president, giving a presentation before the demonstration. Photo courtesy of Safe Fleet

2 min to read


Safe Fleet demonstrated its Predictive Stop Arm in Laurel, Miss., on the 10-year anniversary of a crash that killed a 5-year-old boy. Shown here is Mike Schulte, Safe Fleet's president, giving a presentation before the demonstration. Photo courtesy of Safe Fleet

LAUREL, Miss. — Safety solutions supplier Safe Fleet hosted a demonstration of its Predictive Stop Arm (PSA) technology here on Tuesday morning, the 10-year anniversary of a fatal school bus crash that killed a 5-year-old student.

On the anniversary of Nathan Key’s death, his mother, Lori Key McJohnson, attended the demonstration in support of additional school bus safety and preventive measures, according to a news release from Safe Fleet.

Since the 2009 accident, McJohnson has helped push through Nathan’s Law, which was passed in 2011. The law resulted in increased fines and penalties for drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses.

Safe Fleet has since developed advanced technology for the danger zone to address school bus safety. The danger zone is the area extending 15 feet to the front, rear, and sides of the bus that poses the highest risk of children being struck by passing vehicles or their own bus.

Ad Loading...

The PSA solution uses radar technology and predictive analytics to monitor oncoming vehicle traffic for possible stop-arm violations, according to Safe Fleet. The technology is designed to help increase safety in the danger zone by aiming to notify the bus driver and students that it may not be safe to cross the street — before an accident occurs.

“The devastating event that impacted the Key family 10 years ago should never happen. Unfortunately, the illegal passing of stopped school buses, which creates incidents such as this, are still occurring every day,” said Mike Schulte, president of Safe Fleet. “Our PSA solution aims to save lives and pave the way towards a future of zero fatalities in school transportation-related injuries.”

Passing vehicles cause an estimated two-thirds of school bus loading and unloading fatalities, according to Safe Fleet.

Meanwhile, Jones County Schools is the first district in the state of Mississippi to implement Safe Fleet’s PSA technology.

“No family should ever experience the loss of a child. We are hoping with the implementation of PSA, we will eliminate the possibility for accidents, such as Nathan’s, to ever occur in the district again,” said Tommy Parker, the superintendent of the district.

More Safety

Graphic showing a yellow school crossing sign and blurred school bus with the headline, “The Back-to-School Traffic Effect.”
Safetyby Amanda HuggettSeptember 18, 2026

School's Back. Here's What Happened to Traffic, Speeding & Distraction

What happens to traffic when school resumes? New data analysis examines changes in distracted driving, congestion, and speeding around schools.

Read More →
Geotab fleet safety platform showing driver coaching data and video of driving events alongside a Geotab vehicle camera.
Technologyby News/Media ReleaseSeptember 17, 2026

Geotab Expands Fleet Safety Tools With Video Coaching, Risk Insights

New safety and video capabilities aim to help fleet managers assess risk, support drivers, and take targeted action through video coaching, red-light violation detection, and more.

Read More →
School Bus Fleet’s The Route graphic featuring two people alongside the text, “The Secret to Better Bus Driver Training (It’s Not the Curriculum),” sponsored by IC Bus.
Sponsoredby Amanda HuggettSeptember 15, 2026

How to Build a Better School Bus Driver Training Program

Is it time to strengthen your driver training? Here’s how to pick the right talent and improve recruitment, retention, and safety. This video is brought to you by IC Bus.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Graphic showing a yellow school bus behind a shattered-glass effect with the text, “Fatal Accident in a Bus Lot & Students Struck Near Bus Stops, Sept. 8–9, 2026.”
Safetyby Staff and News ReportsSeptember 13, 2026

Recent School Bus Accidents Leave 2 Dead, 2 Injured

Four school bus crashes in Florida, Illinois, and Georgia highlight risks in transportation lots, at bus stops, and during student loading and unloading.

Read More →
A female school bus driver in bus driver's seat speaking on radio with an inset of female with headphones looking at two monitors and buses in the background
SponsoredSeptember 8, 2026

When Every Second Matters, Clarity Keeps Routes Moving

From routine delays to urgent incidents, strong communication practices help drivers, dispatchers, schools, and families respond with confidence.

Read More →
Firefighters spray water on a smoking Marietta City Schools school bus during a fire response drill.
Safetyby Amanda HuggettSeptember 8, 2026

What Happens When a School Bus Catches Fire — and What Can Help

School bus fires are rare but can be devastating. Learn how advances in fire suppression and asset protection help fleets detect fires earlier, reduce damage, and improve safety.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Graphic promoting Geotab’s new fleet investigation tool, featuring a screenshot of the MyGeotab platform showing an incident timeline, vehicle activity, and mapped route data.
Safetyby News/Media ReleaseSeptember 1, 2026

Geotab Launches Tool to Help Fleets Investigate Road Incidents

Geotab Investigations combines telematics data, video, documents, and other evidence to help fleets reconstruct incidents, resolve claims, and determine what happened.

Read More →
Student-created poster titled “Safe Rides, Everyday Heroes” shows a yellow school bus at a crosswalk, students waiting nearby, and school bus safety reminders about stopping, school zones, safe pickup and drop-off, and buckling up.
Safetyby News/Media ReleaseAugust 31, 2026

Texas Sixth Grader Wins 2026 National School Bus Safety Poster Contest

Sai Darshana Yekolu of Moseley Middle School in Prosper, Texas, was named the newest winner for her artwork, bringing the theme of “Safe Rides, Everyday Heroes” to life.

Read More →
Cover of a Pro-Vision whitepaper titled “Doing More With Less: A Transportation Director’s Guide to Managing Safety Budget Uncertainty,” featuring school buses, a school transportation scene, and safety technology imagery.
SponsoredAugust 27, 2026

Doing More With Less: How Transportation Directors Can Prioritize Safety Amid Budget Uncertainty

With diesel prices soaring and nearly one-third of transportation directors expecting budget cuts, maintaining student safety has never been more challenging. Download this guide to learn how leading districts are prioritizing risk, funding critical safety technology, and building stronger budget cases with data.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A Gatekeeper Systems camera mounted on the side of a school bus.
Safetyby Staff and News ReportsAugust 26, 2026

Walton County Schools Adds Gatekeeper Stop-Arm Enforcement System

The Florida district will deploy Gatekeeper’s updated Student Protector technology, which now incorporates AI to improve video evidence.

Read More →