>> THAT’S RIGHT. OUR "TODAY" NATIONAL
INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT JEFF
ROSSEN IS HERE WITH THAT.
HEY, JEFF.
HEY, JEFF. >> GOOD MORNING.
LOOK, THIS IS PERSONAL FOR ALL
OF US, BUT ESPECIALLY PERSONAL
FOR ME.
FOR ME. THIS YEAR, MY 6 AND 8-YEAR-OLDS
WERE RIDING A BUS, A SCHOOL BUS
JUST LIKE THIS, WHEN IT GOT INTO
A CRASH ON THE HIGHWAY, SO
SERIOUS, OUR STATION HERE IN NEW
YORK, WNBC -- AS YOU CAN SEE,
THAT’S THE BUS RIGHT THERE, MY
KIDS’ BUS -- THEY SENT THEIR
CHOPPER TO COVER IT AS BREAKING
NEWS.
NEWS. IMAGINE SEEING THAT ON
TELEVISION.
TELEVISION. THANK GOODNESS NOBODY WAS
SERIOUSLY HURT.
SERIOUSLY HURT. WE GOT LUCKY, BUT THAT’S NOT
ALWAYS THE CASE.
SCHOOL BUSES ARE BIG, HEAVY, AND
TOUGH TO MANEUVER, ESPECIALLY IN
BAD WEATHER, BUT NOW THERE’S A
BRAND-NEW SYSTEM FOR SCHOOL
BUSES THAT SENSES DANGER AND
TAKES CONTROL OF THE BUS
AUTOMATICALLY, LITERALLY HELPING
IT TO STEER OUT OF DANGER.
THIS CAN BE A GAME-CHANGER AND
SAVE LIVES.
SAVE LIVES. YOU’RE ABOUT TO SEE IT IN ACTION
RIGHT HERE.
RIGHT HERE. [ SCREAMING ]
>> Reporter: SCHOOL BUSES LOSING
CONTROL.
CONTROL. AGAIN --
AGAIN -- >> I’M GOING TO NEED ABOUT 20
AMBULANCES.
AMBULANCES. I HAVE A FULL SCHOOL BUS AND I
HAVE VICTIMS ON THE GROUND.
>> Reporter: AND AGAIN.
STUDENTS INSIDE GOING FLYING.
ALREADY THIS YEAR, DOZENS OF
SCHOOL BUS CRASHES ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. IN TEXAS, 24 STUDENTS INJURED
WHEN THIS BUS HYDROPLANED AND
FLIPPED.
FLIPPED. NEAR PITTSBURGH, DOZENS MORE
RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL IN
ANOTHER CRASH.
ANOTHER CRASH. AND NEAR DALLAS, 12-YEAR-OLD
JASMINE ALFARO WAS KILLED WHEN
HER SCHOOL BUS CRASHED AND BURST
INTO FLAMES.
INTO FLAMES. BUT NOW, THE COUNTRY’S LARGEST
SCHOOL BUS MAKER SAYS THEY’VE
DEVELOPED NEW TECHNOLOGY TO
PREVENT MANY OF THESE CRASHES
AND SAVE KIDS’ LIVES.
AND TODAY, FOR THE FIRST TIME
EVER, THEY’RE ABOUT TO SHOW US
THAT TECHNOLOGY ON THIS BUS IN
ACTION.
ACTION. AND TO DO IT, WE HAVE OUR DRONE
OUT, WE HAVE MULTIPLE CAMERAS,
AND WE ARE HERE ON THIS CLOSED
TRACK, AWAY FROM TRAFFIC, SO
NOBODY GETS HURT.
AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS
BECAUSE WE’RE ABOUT TO GET ON
THIS BUS AND NEARLY CRASH IT TO
SEE IF IT REALLY WORKS.
THE COMPANY IC BUS SETS UP THE
TEST, CALLING IN THIS SPECIAL
WATER TRUCK, HOSING DOWN THE
TRACK LIKE IT JUST RAINED, THE
KIND OF CONDITIONS YOUR KIDS’
BUS WOULD DRIVE IN.
I AM ON THE BUS WITH TRISH REID
OF IC BUS.
THEIR DRIVER, FRED, IS BEHIND
THE WHEEL.
THE WHEEL. WE BARRELED DOWN THE ROAD
HEADING RIGHT FOR THE WET
PAVEMENT.
PAVEMENT. THE SYSTEM IS OFF.
OKAY, SO, THE SYSTEM IS OFF
RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW. THIS IS LIKE ANY SCHOOL BUS IN
AMERICA.
AMERICA. >> YES, IT IS.
>> ALL RIGHT, HERE’S THE TURN.
HERE WE GO.
OH.
OH. YOU CAN SEE THE WHOLE BACK OF
THE BUS IS FISHTAILING OUT.
WE’RE ALL OVER THE PLACE.
>> LOST CONTROL IN A SKID.
>> IF THERE WERE CARS RIGHT
THERE, PEOPLE --
>> IT’D BE DEVASTATING.
>> Reporter: NOW CHECK IT OUT
FROM ANOTHER ANGLE.
THE BUS CRASHING RIGHT THROUGH
THOSE CONES.
THOSE CONES. FROM OUR NBC DRONE, YOU CAN SEE
IT FISHTAILING.
IT FISHTAILING. LEAVING THE TRACK, EVEN COMING
STRAIGHT AT OUR CAMERA IN THE
SAFE ZONE.
SAFE ZONE. NOW WE COME AROUND AND DO IT
AGAIN, BUT THIS TIME, THEY
ACTIVATE THE ELECTRONIC
STABILITY CONTROL.
STABILITY CONTROL. SYSTEM ON.
SYSTEM ON. >> OKAY, CONFIRMING THE SYSTEM
IS ON?
IS ON? >> IT IS ON.
>> HERE COMES THAT TURN RIGHT
NOW.
NOW. WHOA.
WHOA. OOH, THAT’S A TIGHT TURN!
IT’S STAYING INSIDE THE CONES!
>> THE SYSTEM KNEW WHAT THE
DRIVER AND THE BUS WAS DOING AND
CORRECTED IT.
CORRECTED IT. >> SPOT ON!
THAT ACCURATE.
THAT ACCURATE. >> Reporter: A PERFECT TURN,
EVEN AT THE SAME SPEED.
STAYING ON TRACK, NOT HITTING A
SINGLE CONE.
SINGLE CONE. BUT THE COMPUTER DOES EVEN MORE.
THIS NEXT TEST SURPRISED EVEN
US.
US. THE TEAM PARKS A CAR ON THE
TRACK AS WE’RE STILL ON THE BUS
AND THE DRIVER HITS THE GAS.
>> WE’RE GOING TO DEMONSTRATE
COLLISION MITIGATION TECHNOLOGY.
IT’S ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY THAT
HELPS THE DRIVER IF THEY GET
DISTRACTED OR HAVE ANY KIND OF
MEDICAL CONDITION, TO AVOID AN
ACCIDENT.
ACCIDENT. >> THIS IS TO SIMULATE WE’RE ON
A HIGHWAY, THERE’S TRAFFIC UP
AHEAD, GRIDLOCK, AND THE
DRIVER’S NOT STOPPING.
>> THAT’S CORRECT.
>> IF WE CONTINUE ON, WE’RE
GOING TO HIT THAT CAR, GUYS.
>> Reporter: WITH THAT BEEP, THE
COMPUTER HITS THE BRAKES
AUTOMATICALLY, STOPPING THE BUS
IN ITS TRACKS.
>> DID YOU HIT THE BRAKE ON
THAT?
THAT? >> NOPE.
>> NOPE. >> I ACTUALLY WANT TO GET OUT
REAL QUICK AND SHOW YOU
SOMETHING.
SOMETHING. I WANT TO SHOW YOU THE DISTANCE
IS EVEN STOPS.
THIS IS HOW WELL THE RADAR
WORKS.
WORKS. THIS IS LIKE A WHOLE SCHOOL BUS
LENGTH, AWAY FROM THE CAR IN
FRONT OF IT.
THIS WILL SAVE YOUR KIDS’ LIVES.
THAT’S AMAZING.
THAT’S AMAZING. EXPERTS SAY SCHOOL BUS IS STILL
THE SAFEST WAY TO GET YOUR KIDS
TO SCHOOL.
TO SCHOOL. THIS TECHNOLOGY MAKES THEM EVEN
SAFER, OBVIOUSLY.
SAFER, OBVIOUSLY. AND THIS IS A BIG DEAL, BECAUSE
AS I MENTIONED IN THE PIECE, THE
COMPANY THAT SKAM UP WITH THIS
TECHNOLOGY, IC BUS, IS HUGE.
IN FACT, NEARLY TWO-THIRDS OF
ALL KIDS IN AMERICA READ IC
BUSES TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY.
NOW THEY’RE PUTTING THIS
TECHNOLOGY INTO EVERY NEW SCHOOL