---
title: "Camera systems for school buses"
url: "https://dashcamforcars.com/solution/school-bus/"
---

# Camera systems for school buses

A school bus needs four or more camera views: the road, the driver, each door and the aisle. An MDVR such as the WD11 records them to SD cards, counts passengers at one to four doors and sends location and video to the school or operator over 4G. A driver-monitoring camera adds a fatigue alarm.

- Camera views: 4 to 8
- Recorder: WD11 MDVR
- Storage: Two SD cards, up to 256 GB each

## What goes wrong

- **Knowing how many boarded.** Schools need to know how many children got on and off at each stop. Counters above the doors record boarding and alighting on every trip.
- **Incidents on board.** Aisle and door cameras record what happened inside the bus, with time and GPS position, so a complaint can be checked against video.
- **Driver alertness.** A driver-facing infrared camera detects closed eyes and head nodding and sounds an alarm in the cab, on dark mornings as well as in daylight.

## Recommended camera layout

An SD-card MDVR records interior and exterior cameras and counts boarding passengers at each door, while a driver-monitoring camera watches for fatigue.

| Position | Equipment | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Windscreen, facing the road | [ADAS Camera](https://dashcamforcars.com/product/adas-camera/) | The road ahead, with lane-departure, pedestrian and vehicle-distance warnings |
| Dashboard or A-pillar | [DSM Camera](https://dashcamforcars.com/product/dsm-camera/) | The driver, with a closed-eye and head-nodding fatigue alarm |
| Above each door | [3D passenger counter on the WD11](https://dashcamforcars.com/product/wd11-mdvr/) | Boarding and alighting counts, on one to four doors |
| Ceiling, over the aisle | [AHD003 dome camera](https://dashcamforcars.com/product/adh003-advanced-driver-assistance/) | Seats and aisle, with infrared for dark mornings and evenings |
| Rear | Exterior AHD camera | Reversing and vehicles behind the bus |

What this setup gives you: Live location for administrators; Passenger counting at 1 to 4 doors; Over-speed and geofence alerts.

## Products in this setup

- [WD11](https://dashcamforcars.com/product/wd11-mdvr/): Recorder with passenger counting
- [DSM camera](https://dashcamforcars.com/product/dsm-camera/): Driver fatigue
- [ADAS camera](https://dashcamforcars.com/product/adas-camera/): Road ahead
- [AHD003](https://dashcamforcars.com/product/adh003-advanced-driver-assistance/): Aisle and seats

## Storage and mobile data

Recording 1080p + 1080p + 720p + 720p at standard quality on one 256 GB SD card keeps roughly 38 hours of recording with H.264, or about 76 hours in H.265, which the WD11 supports. Recording uses no mobile data. Tracking uses about 17 MB a month; live view on the sub-stream uses about 40 to 60 MB per camera per hour.

## Before you order

- The WD11 runs on 10–36 V DC, for 12 V and 24 V buses, and operates from -20 °C to +70 °C. 4G and GPS are optional modules: order them for live location and video.
- Passenger counters and AI cameras share the recorder's inputs. Tell us the number of doors and views and we will confirm the configuration before you order.
- Counting gives totals per door and stop; it does not identify individual passengers. Our specification rates the 3D counter above 95% accuracy, and mounting height, door width and lighting affect the result.
- Mount the counters above each door. We recommend professional installation and provide wiring guidance.

## FAQ

### How many cameras does a school bus need?

A school bus needs four to eight cameras, depending on its length and the number of doors: the road, the driver, each door, the aisle and the rear.

### Can the system count students getting on and off?

Yes. The WD11 MDVR supports 3D binocular passenger counting on one to four doors. It counts people boarding and alighting; it does not identify individuals.

### Can the school see where the bus is?

Yes. With 4G and GPS, the bus's live location, route history and video are available in the Traqcare app and web platform, with alerts for over-speeding and for entering or leaving a zone you define.

### How long is school bus video kept?

With the road and driver cameras at 1080p and the aisle and rear cameras at 720p, the setup uses about 6.3 GB an hour, so one 256 GB card holds roughly 38 hours before the oldest footage is overwritten. H.265 doubles that, and the WD11 takes two cards.