RSA and ESB Networks encourage parents and teachers to put road safety on the ‘Back to School’ checklist and make bus safety a priority.

22 August 2016: As the final preparations for a new school term begin in homes and schools around the country, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and ESB Networks are calling on parents, guardians and teachers to make sure road safety is top of the ‘back to school’ checklist.

The RSA and ESB Networks want parents and students to think about safety while at the bus stop and when on-board. The RSA are reminding parents to ensure their child is visible while at the bus stop, a particular concern as the shorter day’s approach, and encouraging children to always wear their seatbelt when traveling to and from school on the bus.

Four children aged 14 and under have died in the first eight months of the year on Irish roads. In the period between 2011 and 2015, 32 children aged 14 and under died as a result of a collision on our roads, of these 14 were pedestrians and a further two were pedal cyclists.  The RSA is reminding parents to ensure their child is visible when walking or cycling on the roads, or when waiting for the school bus.

For the sixth year running, the RSA and ESB Networks will distribute free high visibility vests to every child starting school in September. To date, this partnership has provided 700,000 children throughout the country with high visibility vests. Schools can now register online for the RSA’s ‘Back to School’ road safety packs which will be sent to primary schools nationwide over the coming months. 

Moyagh Murdock, Chief Executive, Road Safety Authority said: “As parents and guardians, we have a responsibility to ensure our youngest and most vulnerable road-users are safe when travelling to and from school. One of the easiest ways to do this is to ensure they wear high visibility material when walking, cycling or getting the bus to school. This will help other road-users to see them and to slow down when they are nearby. Motorists should also be on the look-out for children making their journey to school and to modify their behaviour accordingly.”

“If your child gets the bus to school, please make sure they wear reflective clothing so they can be seen at the bus stop. Don’t leave them standing on the side of the road in the dark to wait for a bus. Make sure they know that when they’re on the bus, they should wear their seatbelt at all times and never stand while the bus is moving.”

Speaking at the launch of the Back to School campaign, Mr Gerry Mooney, Manager, Safety and Organisational Transformation at ESB Networks said: “This is a very important initiative for ESB Networks and we are proud to team up with the RSA, again this year, to promote road safety awareness among our youngest road users, their schools and indeed their families. The nationwide campaign will include the distribution of 80,000 high visibility vests to all children starting school in September and focus attention on the importance of road safety.

Our partnership with the RSA also reflects ESB Networks' ongoing commitment to promoting safety at all times. This initiative is part of our wider ‘Stay Safe, Stay Clear’ electrical safety campaign which we are promoting throughout schools in the Republic of Ireland."

The RSA is also urging schools and parents to take steps to ensure safety when hiring a bus. All bus operators are required by law to ensure their buses are roadworthy and meet a number of requirements including:

• Having appropriate preventative maintenance regimes, daily walk-around vehicle checks and swift repair of defects
• Ensuring their buses are tested on-time, and
• Completing an annual self-declaration in respect of their buses to the Road Safety Authority.

Anyone hiring a bus is encouraged to ask the bus company to complete a Declaration of Compliance (available on www.cvrt.ie) which contains a checklist of the key legal minimum requirements. If you have any concerns about the condition of a bus provided, do not use it and contact the RSA directly via cvrtadmin@rsa.ie

Separately the RSA raised a concern about the practice of people under 18 years of age hiring buses to go to events with their peers.

"In situations that have been brought to our attention by concerned members of the public, the passengers are completely unsupervised. We want to discourage this as we have reports of high jinks activity, often fuelled by alcohol, no seatbelts worn and engaging in behaviour likely to cause harm or at the very least driver distraction. I would call on coach operators not to take bookings form those who are underage and unsupervised by adults.” said Ms Murdock.

Schools can now register online for the RSA’s ‘Back to School’ road safety packs which will be sent to primary schools throughout the country over the coming months. To register online for your packs, or for further road safety information for parents, teachers and students, visit www.rsa.ie/backtoschool

For media queries, please contact: RSA Communications Office: 096 25008

Notes to the Editor: 

The ‘Back to School’ campaign and other Road Safety Authority Educational Initiatives

Teachers are encouraged to register online for the RSA ‘Back to School’ Pack for Primary Schools, which contains:

• A high visibility vest for every child starting school in partnership with ESB Networks
• ‘Going to School’ leaflets for junior infants entering education. This is a parent’s guide to getting children to school safely;
• A ‘Safe Cross Code’ promotional pack including a CD of the song and a poster with the words of the ‘Safe Cross Code’ song and dance to be taught in the classroom;
• The ‘Educational News’ newsletter;
• ESB Networks safety information leaflet about a fun, exciting and educational way for pupils from Infants to 6th Class to discover the benefits of electricity, while learning to be safe around it

The RSA also has a number of other road safety resources for teachers and students which aims to promote and encourage road safety among children aged five and under.

At primary level, ‘Safe Cross Code’, ‘Street Smart’, ‘Be Safe’, ‘Let’s Go’, ‘Seatbelt Sheriff’ and ‘Hi Glo Silver,' teaches young road users how to use the roads safely.

At secondary level, there is the Junior Cycle resource entitled ‘Streetwise’ as well as ‘Your Road to Safety’ for Transition Year. The ‘Let’s Go’ CD, which is a road safety resource for principals and teachers, will be delivered to every secondary school over the coming weeks.

The RSA’s Nationwide Road Safety Education Service is available to visit schools to give a comprehensive road safety presentation to students which can be tailored to suit all class sizes, groups and ages.  We tackle a range of topics on road safety including road safety at school, pedestrian and cycle safety, urban and rural transport issues, learning to drive and killer behaviours.  This service is free of charge.

The RSA Shuttle, Rollover Simulator and ‘Street Smart’ will begin visiting schools nationwide at the start of the academic year.  

 ‘Back to School’ tips and advice from the RSA:

• Research shows that children under 12 should be accompanied if walking or cycling to school as they don’t have the necessary skills or experience to manage traffic or cross the roads safely. So make sure your child is accompanied by a responsible adult until they’re old enough to go on their own.
• If your child travels to school by bus or car, make sure they use the correct restraint at all times, for example, a child car seat, booster cushion or safety belt.
• Show them the correct way to get on and off the bus, in particular, where they should stand to safely wait for its arrival and before crossing the road.
• If your child walks or cycles to school, make sure they are wearing the proper safety and high visibility gear – a helmet and high vis if they cycle, and a high vis vest or armband if they walk. Make sure their bicycle has working lights, both front and rear, and a bell.
• For older children who may walk or cycle to school, it is important that they learn how to share the road safely with other road-users, for example, how to use hand signals to indicate a manoeuvre and always obey the Rules of the Road.
• Teach your child the ‘Safe Cross Code’ and make it a part of their ‘going to school’ routine.
• Remember, the best person to teach your child how to use the roads safely is you. So set a good example and always demon

ENDS