Good Practice Guidelines
Following good practice guidelines helps ensure the highest safety standards for all school transport arrangements.
Safety Belt Policy
Provide parents, carers, and students with a comprehensive safety belt policy document requiring compulsory wearing of belts where they are fitted.
- Clear policy documentation
- Signed acknowledgement from families
- Regular policy reviews
- Enforcement procedures
Safety Training
Ensure adequate safety training is provided to all students at least once a year on how to keep safe in transit.
- Annual safety sessions
- Include risk assessed vehicle evacuation procedures
- Post-evacuation safety protocols
- Age-appropriate training materials
Written Contracts
Have a written contract between parents/carers, transport companies, and the party making transport arrangements.
- Clear terms and conditions
- Safety requirements specified
- Emergency contact procedures
- Liability and insurance details
Rule Book
Provide a rule book to all school transport stakeholders with a signed declaration to evidence acceptance of the rules.
- Comprehensive rule documentation
- Signed acceptance forms
- Regular updates and reviews
- Clear consequences outlined
Seat Belt Policy
Schools and local authorities must have a comprehensive seat belt policy detailing how seat belt wearing will be enforced.
Why Seat Belts Save Lives
Understanding the science behind seat belt safety helps everyone appreciate their critical importance.
First Collision
The vehicle comes to a sudden stop due to impact.
Second Collision
Your body hits something inside the vehicle - hopefully your seat belt!
Third Collision
Internal organs twist, tear, and rupture around fixed points - this is how people die in crashes.
Most Crashes Happen Close to Home
Most road traffic collisions occur on short, familiar routes within 5 minutes of leaving home or within 5 miles of the journey start.
Low Speed, High Risk
Most crashes happen at speeds of 30mph or less on short familiar journeys.
Policy Requirements
Parent and Carer Awareness
Parents and carers should be fully aware of the seat belt policy so they can ensure their child clearly understands and complies with the rules.
Legislative Compliance
Schools must be fully up to date with seat belt legislation and know how safety belts are meant to be worn correctly.
Enforcement Procedures
Clear procedures for dealing with non-compliance, including consequences and escalation processes.
Critical Safety Warning
Incorrectly worn safety belts are a significant safety risk to the wearer. Incorrectly worn belts also carry the same legal penalty as not wearing a belt at all.
Student Safety Tips
Essential safety guidance specifically for students using school transport.
Your Personal Brake System
If you are provided with a seat belt on your school coach or minibus, you should wear it. Not wearing it puts you and your friends at risk of serious injury or even death.
"You wouldn't get on a coach if the brakes weren't working - so why wouldn't you 'wear' your own personal brake?"
During a collision, your safety belt acts as your personal brake system. Without it, you can be thrown into your friends, sustaining serious injury to yourself and/or your friend. Could you live with yourself knowing you made the choice not to belt up?
Boarding and Alighting
Follow these essential steps for safe boarding and alighting:
- Always wait until the vehicle stops completely before attempting to get on or off
- Be careful not to catch clothing or baggage in doors when they close
- Never try to cross in front of a school bus or coach - drivers overtaking cannot see you
- Use handrails when available
- Take your time and don't rush
Supporting Your Driver
Your driver needs your support to keep everyone safe. Here's how you can help:
Remain seated and keep noise to a reasonable level
Follow all driver instructions immediately
Help your driver not to become distracted by not being disruptive or noisy
Help with the general safety of all passengers by ensuring safety equipment is not tampered with and emergency exits are kept just for that – emergencies
Remember that your driver is immediately distracted if you hang out of windows or stand by his cab
Understanding Reaction Times
At 30mph
If someone steps out in front of the vehicle, the driver will continue for around 9 metres before their brain tells them to brake.
If the driver is distracted, reaction time becomes longer – potentially too late to avoid hitting someone crossing in front of the vehicle. Remember, that person about to be hit, could be someone you know and love.
Reporting Safety Concerns
If you think safety rules are not being followed and you're worried about the risk of a crash, you can take action without being identified:
Tell your head teacher or another trusted adult
Ask them to contact BUSK for free advice
BUSK will help resolve the safety issues
"Don't wait for someone else to act. Be the one who speaks up."
Driver Responsibilities
School bus and coach drivers have a huge responsibility in keeping students safe and have significant legal authority.
Important Driver Facts
Passenger Control
Drivers cannot put a pupil off the vehicle and leave them stranded, but they can refuse to allow anyone to board.
Following Instructions
It is an offence to ignore a driver's instructions. Students must comply with all reasonable requests from the driver.
Vehicle Checks
Drivers must carry out a 'walk-around' check on a PSV before it leaves the depot. This check can take up to 15 minutes and is a legal requirement.
Reaction Times
Driver distraction increases reaction times, potentially making the difference between life and death in emergency situations.
How Noise Affects Driver Safety
When students are noisy or run around inside a vehicle, the driver finds it more difficult to concentrate on the road. This can have serious consequences:
Traffic Movement in School Grounds
Every school in the UK is legally required to have a written risk assessment for movement of traffic inside school grounds.
Legal Requirements
Written Risk Assessment
Must be accessible to staff, parents, pupils, visitors, and transport operators.
Annual Updates
Document should be updated at least once a year or sooner if required, with actions recorded in meetings.
Audit Trail
Essential to protect schools and ensure safety standards are maintained, particularly for pupils boarding and alighting transport.
Risk Assessment Elements
The risk assessment should consider how pedestrians will be protected from traffic and may include:
Monitoring and Compliance
Records should be available detailing:
- Measures taken to monitor compliance with procedures
- Who has responsibility for monitoring
- Regular review schedules
- Incident reporting and response procedures
Zig Zag Markings
Zig zag markings are in place to safeguard pupils when they are entering or leaving the school gate.
Purpose and Importance
Child Safety Protection
Zig zag markings are in place to safeguard children, and for motorists to have clear view of pedestrians.
Dealing with Violations
Immediate Action Required
Where a school experiences unlawful parking on zig zags, the school should take immediate steps to have the cars removed.
Never Acceptable
Schools that fail to deal with parking on zig zags are failing to discharge a duty of care for pupils. All schools need to be able to evidence actions taken to prevent cars stopping or parking in this safety zone.
To ignore a problem with cars parking on zig zags, particularly when children are arriving or leaving school, would never be acceptable because it puts children's lives at risk.
Advisory Notice: School Duty of Care & Zig-Zag Parking Risks
Schools have a legal duty of care to protect pupils from foreseeable harm during arrival and departure. Allowing children to exit through gates where vehicles routinely park on zig-zag lines—despite known risks—may breach this duty.
Key Points:
- Zig-zag lines are designed to keep school entrances clear for visibility and safety.
- Parking on these lines endangers children and obstructs safe crossing.
- If the school is aware of this hazard and takes no action, it may be legally liable in the event of an incident.
Recommended Actions:
- Review pupil exit routes for safety.
- Report illegal parking to the local authority.
- Consider alternative gates or supervision measures.
- Communicate with parents about safe drop-off and pick-up practices.
Proactive steps now can prevent serious consequences later.
Enforcement Actions
Schools can take several actions to address zig zag violations:
Contact Local Authority
Report persistent violations to parking enforcement teams
Parent Communication
Send clear messages about the importance of zig zag compliance
Monitoring and Recording
Document violations and responses for follow-up action
Wheelchair Passengers
Passengers required to travel in their wheelchair need specialised transport and properly trained staff.
Essential Requirements
Compatible Transport
Passengers should be provided with adequate transport where a tracking system is compatible with the wheelchair.
Risk Assessment
Essential to establish which wheelchairs are compatible with vehicles and tracking systems.
Trained Staff Only
Only trained staff should be tasked with loading, unloading, and operating wheelchair systems.
Equipment Operation
Staff should be trained to operate ramps, tail lifts, and all wheelchair restraint systems.
Staff Training Requirements
Loading and Unloading
- Safe wheelchair positioning
- Proper lifting techniques
- Communication with passengers
- Equipment safety checks
Restraint Systems
- Correct restraint attachment
- System compatibility checks
- Regular inspection procedures
- Emergency release mechanisms
Emergency Procedures
- Evacuation protocols for wheelchair users
- Emergency equipment operation
- Communication during emergencies
- Coordination with emergency services
Emergency Procedures
Specialist Emergency Protocols
Emergency procedures should be in place for any unforeseen incidents using staff that are specifically familiar with the evacuation of wheelchair passengers.