School bus safety has come under scrutiny following an incident on Thursday morning in northern Minnesota where 12 students were injured when a bus crashed.

According to officials, a school bus from Cherry School in Iron was on its route when a driver failed to stop at a stop sign and collided with the bus, causing it to overturn. A dozen students were transported to the hospital, while several others sustained injuries that did not necessitate hospitalization.

Federal safety authorities assert that students are eight times safer when riding a bus to school compared to other transportation options.

"Incidents involving a school bus can be frightening," stated Nick Martini, Vice President of Operations at Northstar Bus Lines and American Student Transportation.

Northstar Bus Lines and American Student Transportation school buses are equipped with numerous safety features on the exterior, including flashing red lights, cross-view mirrors, and stop-sign arms. There are also updated safety features inside the buses.

Samsara is the software utilized by both Northstar Bus Lines and American Student Transportation for their buses.

"Samsara assists us with driver training, and our cameras are equipped with AI technology to detect unsafe behaviors," Martini explained.

Between 2016 and 2020, nearly 2,800 school bus crashes occurred in the state, resulting in 225 injuries among students—a small fraction of the 870,000 public school students in Minnesota.

This is why implementing Samsara two years ago was crucial. The system provides drivers with real-time alerts to identify unsafe driving behaviors both inside and outside the bus. It also records incidents, allowing for immediate review for training purposes.

"When an event occurs, our training department receives a notification to review it, enabling us to approach a driver and discuss how to improve," Martini noted.

This system enhances safety for both students on the bus and drivers on the road.

"It's an additional layer of safety because we are all human," Martini added.