SAFETY REVIEWS FOR SCHOOL BUS ROUTES: ARE TODAY'S ROADS SAFE FOR OUR SCHOOL BUSES?

Ever since schooling became compulsory in Queensland, society has been faced with the task of getting our children to and from school. Almost every mode of travel has been used, including walking, cycling, horseback, horse and cart, motorcars, buses, trams, trains and boats. No matter which mode of travel our children use, we have an expectation that they can travel to school safely. School buses are widely recognised as one of the safest forms of school transport, and it would appear reasonable to assume that it would be safer to travel on a school bus today than it was in the past. Certainly the safety standard of the school buses has improved over the years, but have the roads improved accordingly? This paper presents a brief historical look at school buses and the roads on which they travel. The paper then discusses the Safe School Bus Routes Program - a Queensland Government initiative to increase safety for school buses through the conduct of safety reviews of school bus routes. An outline of the safety review process is presented, and typical safety deficiencies are outlined. The paper aims to create a better understanding of safety issues on school bus routes by sharing the Queensland experience. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E205914.