20km/h Past a Stationary School Bus

Every day, hundreds of children make the journey to and from school safely by bus. It is one of the safest ways to travel, yet from 1987 to the beginning of this year, 23 children were killed when crossing the road to or from the buses, and a further 47 were seriously injured.

If road-users remember to cut their speed to 20km/h when passing stopped school buses from either direction, that crash rate can be greatly reduced.

The faster traffic passes a stationary bus, the more chance of tragedy. About 75% of such fatalities occur on roads with a 100km/h speed limit. Crashes can happen on any road, however.

Krista Hobday, Tasman District Council road safety co-ordinator, urges drivers to respect the speed limit past school buses. Keep an eye out for that large yellow sign on the back of buses stating “SCHOOL” in black letters.

Drivers also need to remember that primary schoolchildren in particular are poor judges of speed. They are impulsive and they may not be with a caregiver.

Help to make our community safer for our children. Stay alert, anticipate danger and please slow down.