§ Miss Emma NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of statutory regulations for operators of designated school buses which require standards of safety to be met(a) in the other member states of the European Community and (b) elsewhere; and what assessment he has made of their comparable figures for accidents involving children of school age and designated school buses.
§ Mr. AtkinsI have considered what we can learn from the statutory regulations applicable to school buses, so far as we are aware of them, in other European countries and elsewhere.
Some European countries require a special sign showing two children in silhouette on a yellow background to be displayed on school buses. We think that this simple, cautionary sign has much to commend it and as I told the House on 14 November, we shall shortly circulate for comment proposals along these lines.
In Japan all minibuses, buses and coaches, except those providing a local bus service, are required to be fitted with seat belts on every seat. I have received many representations requesting similar legislation in the United Kingdom. At present we are prevented from enforcing legislation while the European Community seat belt directive specifies that no seat belts need be fitted to minibuses and coaches. We shall continue to press for change, but the view of most of the other member states is that coaches and minibuses are so safe that seat belts would not be worth while except on the front seats. This we have already required. We believe that seats themselves can give a measure of protection in a frontal accident, but seat belts generally prevent ejection and can thus reduce death and injury in a roll-over accident.
We have no figures for accidents involving children of school age using buses either in the United Kingdom or in other countries. Our own figures show that in 1988 409 children were killed and 7,923 were seriously injured on the roads in all.
§ Miss Emma NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of traffic accidents involving designated school buses where children of school age have been injured or killed; and what consideration he has given to(a) the state of the road, (b) the type of vehicles involved and (c) the time of year as contributory factors.
§ Mr. AtkinsIt is our established practice to make a detailed investigation covering every possible contributory factor leading to a spectacular and major crash. This applies equally to crashes involving buses carrying children of school age as to other vehicles.
§ Miss Emma NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration he has given to the need for an additional adult to be carried on designated school buses to ensure proper safety procedures are followed.
§ Mr. AtkinsSupervision is a matter for education authorities and schools. We encourage them to ensure that adequate arrangements exist.
§ Miss Emma NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what regulations exist to ensure that drivers of designated school buses are trained in first aid.
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§ Mr. AtkinsThere is no regulation requiring any driver to be trained in first aid.
§ Miss Emma NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what safety requirements exist for transport operators of school project trips; and if he will ensure that any new safety standards imposed on designated school buses must also be met on school project trips.
§ Mr. AtkinsThe public service vehicle regulations apply equally to all bus operators. We will indeed propose that any new safety requirements for buses used to carry children between home and school shall also apply to school project trips.