School Bus Safety

Petition PE 1223
Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to take the appropriate action, whether through amending guidance, contracts, agreements or legislation, to require local authorities to install proper safety signage and lights on school buses, to be used only when school children are on the bus when necessary, and make overtaking a stationary school bus a criminal offence.

The above petition was lodged by Ron Beaty and he writes:

In 2004 my granddaughter Erin was knocked down leaving the school bus and left wheel chair bound; requiring 24 hour care.

This started me on a journey; it’s been a very hard journey for us all. We never knew so much heartbreak existed, nor how many children over the years had been seriously injured, or in fact sadly killed, simply leaving the school bus.

Then in September of 2008 Robyn Oldham aged 15 and Alexander Milne aged 12, were both killed in the same month in Aberdeenshire, again both leaving the school bus.

To cut a long story short, we came together to form the school bus safety group and we have at present a petition before the Scottish Parliament, trying to improve the visibility and signage on school buses which is ongoing.

Carla Oldham has been involved in a Fatal Accident Inquiry regarding her daughter Robyn, so we await the Sheriff’s recommendations from that.

It’s a fact that some councils are improving safety on the school bus; it’s also a fact others don’t want to know. It costs, but what has been spent on school transport by improvements over the last 30 years? In reality nothing!

Why should a school pupil travel to school safer than another child, simply because they have a different post code? Post codes don’t recognise accidents.

Since 1981 almost 22,000 children have been killed or injured leaving the school bus, a horrendous figure.

So we campaign on, trying to make sure no other family has to go through the heartbreak ours have, of course many of your own members will instantly recognise that fact.

We thank SCID for giving us the opportunity to speak out on this subject, we also support all SCID does and they have our best wishes as they continue to speak out against irresponsible drivers. We both walk a very similar road.

Ron Beaty
www.schoolbus.org.uk
 

SCID note:
In 2008:
270 men, women and children died or were killed on Scotland’s roads.
2,568 men, women and children were seriously injured on Scotland’s roads. Serious injury includes loss of limbs, brain damage and many other life changing injures. A further 12,738 people received lesser injuries. A tragic total of 15,576 casualties.

The UK Road Traffic Act is a reserved matter to Westminster and as such the law should be applied and administered uniformly throughout the UK. In Scotland, England & Wales consequences of injury, serious or otherwise, when caused by culpable drivers play no part in any charge - only the standard of driving can be considered. However, unlike the rest of the UK penalties have been approved in Northern Ireland for causing serious injury by dangerous or careless driving. We find it totally unacceptable for victims and their families that the UK Road Traffic Act is administered in this cavalier way.

Please write to your MP and MSP and ask why we, in the rest of the UK are being discriminated against.