Case Studies

Safety Climate Tool, Glasgow and Manchester

Developed for the rail industry, the online Safety Climate Tool helps companies to secure cultural change in attitudes to safety. Those of our operating companies in Glasgow and Manchester which have underperformed in safety over the past few years have trialled the tool and full evaluation will take place in the coming year. Wider rollout is proposed if the tool is successful.

Promoting Small Rider policy

In North America there is no consistent approach to dropping off 'Small Riders' (children in kindergarten and first grade). Nearly 30% of the districts we serve do not require a parent or guardian to be present at the bus stop for kindergarten children and an even larger number have no policy for first grade students. We continue to raise awareness of this issue and encourage school districts to adopt a Small Rider policy. We are also raising driver awareness of the issue as part of driver start-up training. This approach is achieving results, with a recent reduction in the frequency of Small Riders dropped off without a parent or guardian present.

Making school bus travel safer

In partnerships with other North American operators we are working to reduce the risk of rear-end collisions on the approach to railway crossings. New procedures require earlier deceleration and the use of warning lights. We are also engaged with stakeholders including the National Safety Council to raise awareness of distracted driving. Following a national summit we will participate in follow-up efforts to bring attention to this issue and increase public focus on distracted driving risks.

Reducing the risk of sleeping children

This year we developed a new training DVD, The Invisible Child, in cooperation with the Pupil Transportation Safety Institute in the US. The DVD aims to educate employees about 'inattention blindness', which is a failure to attend to something which is clearly in one's visual field. We also continue to re-programme the Child Checkmate system on our First Student fleet to reduce the risk of disarming or bypassing the system.

Promoting passenger safety

In November 2010 our UK Bus division pioneered Passenger Safety Month. Throughout the month we promoted safe behaviour to our employees, passengers and community groups with the aim of reducing passenger injury. As part of this initiative we promoted our Safe Journey Cards which enable customers to alert the driver to any special requirements they have to keep them safe.

Celebrating school bus safety

Across North America we hold School Bus Safety weeks, such as the one in Jacksonville, FL. Here the Safety Team toured several schools and trained more than 600 students on the danger zones of a school bus. They demonstrated how to safely wait at the bus stop, cross the street, board the bus and safe behaviour while on the bus. The students received a First Student colouring book and other safety information from our colleague, Olly the Safety Clown.