INDIANA, Pa. — Mobile surveillance systems supplier Zen-tinel has teamed up with Safety, Claims and Litigation Services (SCLS) to provide accident event recorder (AER) technology to school bus contractors.

SCLS is an affiliate of National Interstate Insurance Co. As a preferred vendor partner, Zen-tinel is offering camera systems that officials say are ”proven to enhance driver performance, reduce accidents and save lives.”

Zen-tinel's Continuous Event Camera system is equipped with three cameras designed to monitor specific areas of the bus. One camera records views from the vehicle's front window. A second camera captures the driver and the stairs of the bus. A third unit records the children in their seats. In the case of an accident, the AER video footage provides evidence to help understand the causes of the event and exonerate drivers when they are not at fault, according to the company.

Zen-tinel's G-force software also maintains a database of unsafe behaviors, such as hard braking, unnecessary idling and rapid acceleration.

"SCLS and National Interstate, like Zen-tinel, are committed to the safety of every child, and we are proud to partner with a leading provider of passenger transportation insurance,” Zen-tinel President Larry Vaughn said. “AERs can only help lower bus accidents and fatalities among schoolchildren while keeping safety affordable for the districts."

Jim Parks, vice president of National Interstate, added that the company is “pleased to assist our clients by offering AER technology through SCLS' customer loyalty program. Our goal is to provide a mechanism to help school bus contractors control their insurance costs while making transportation safer for drivers, children and the general public.”