School bus seatbelt trials a step closer: Minister

29/3/00
Transport Minister Murray Criddle said today that the locations for proposed trials of seat belts in school buses would be known after a Transport committee completed a comprehensive study later this year.
"Transport is working through the many complex issues that go with seatbelts on buses, such as making sure we have a system to maintain competent and constant supervision of children as young as four," Mr Criddle said.
"We are striving to introduce the pilot program in as many regions as possible by the start of the school year in 2001."
The Minister said people making public calls for the immediate introduction of seatbelts in school buses should try to understand the complexity of putting the scheme into place and the need for detailed planning.
"I announced last November that there will be trials in rural school buses but there is still important work to be done to put the pilot project in place. It is something that cannot be rushed because of the complexities involved," he said.
"School buses often carry children as young as four and we have to make sure we have in place a system to deal with issues like supervision. The pilot study of seat belts will provide us with valuable information."
Mr Criddle said that while the issue of safety was paramount for Western Australian school students, controlled testing was the way to find out the level of benefit provided by seatbelts.
"One of the key questions is deciding exactly who on the bus will have the responsibility of enforcing the wearing of seatbelts," he said.
"The pilot program will address the effects on student safety with respect to crashes and injuries; compliance with wearing seat belts; the impacts on bus capacity and the general experiences of bus drivers and passengers during the trial."
Mr Criddle said that regardless of the outcome of the trial, the community was right to be concerned about student safety. He urged students, parents and drivers to be aware of other risks to students before they boarded and alighted from buses.
"There hasn't been a student fatality in a school bus crash in WA for more than 40 years and we want to keep it that way," he said.
Media contact: Doug Cunningham (08) 9321 7333