7 Sep 2011

Rural group hopes new school bus rule will save lives

7:35 am on 7 September 2011

Rural Women New Zealand hopes a new road rule on speed limits near stationary school buses will save lives.

It requires drivers to slow down to 20 km/h for 20 seconds before and after a stationary school bus if it has a flashing sign on display.

Rural Women New Zealand has been campaigning on the issue to increase the safety of school children when they step off buses, especially on dangerous rural roads.

It says while some school buses already have the optional flashing signs, the new 20-second rule does not apply to buses that don't have them.

Rural Women executive officer Noeline Holt says it is pushing for a standardised sign on the front and back of all school buses which would require drivers to slow down to 20 km/h for 20 seconds before and after the stationary bus, when the light was flashing.

She says a design for a standardised 20k sign has been sent to the NZ Transport Agency for approval.

The signs cost about $1000 a bus and those installed so far have been paid for by bus companies, Ms Holt says, and Rural Women is fundraising to help with the cost of getting more signs lit up.