School bus safety

A safer systems approach has been taken to address concerns about the safety of the more than 100,000 children who use school buses each day. This research aimed to identify and advance those measures seen as having the most promise in terms of improving school bus safety in New Zealand. The scope of the research included both safety on school buses and safety when crossing the road to or from a school bus. The research team and project steering group led by the Ministry of Education and NZ Transport Agency, identified and evaluated a wide range of safety improvements. Detailed recommendations for improving school bus safety, including road engineering improvements around bus stops, bus-mounted warning signs that are activated when children may be crossing, enforcement, educational/information campaigns and bus design and management improvements were developed. The relative effectiveness of these different measures was investigated. The most immediate measure that should be implemented is to slow the traffic around school buses that are dropping off or picking up children. In the longer term, the other measures, such as improving bus stops, should be implemented.