A firm representing an inventor is seeking feedback from manufacturers and industry representatives on the feasibility of a concept that could effect school bus "danger zone" safety.

InventHelp, a service company placing new invention in front of industry experts for concept reviews, announced a new product idea for “SCHOOL ALERT,” a device that promised to assist school bus drivers in avoiding hitting pedestrians.

“After I heard about someone who was run over by a school bus, I realized a great need for operators to be more aware of their surroundings,” said the inventor, whose name was being withheld by InventHelp. “Because school buses sit higher above the road than many other vehicles, it’s no wonder that drivers have a difficult time knowing when someone is right in front of the vehicle.”

Crossing gates exist for that very reason, but they are not mandated by the federal government.

The announcement was made this week just as preliminary data was released on the National School Bus Loading and Unloading Survey and President Obama signed into law the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2010 calling on NHTSA to study and establish a federal motor vehicle safety standard that provides a means of alerting blind and other pedestrians of oncoming traffic.

Specifics on the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act remained unclear at this writing, school buses might be included in the regulation as it applies to manufactured “conventional motor vehicles” that are defined as those powered by internal combustion engines that run on gasoline, diesel or alternative fuels.

Editor’s note — More information on the new product concept can be obtained from Gia DelliGatti at InventHelp at (800) 424-2089 ext. 4163.