South Meath Driving School

The Road Safety Authority, in a recent publication, have announced that it is now a legal requirement that private buses involved in the organised transport of children be fitted with appropriate and ‘fit for purpose’ safety belts or restraint systems as of the 31^st of October, 2011.

This applies to the transportation of a group of 3 or more children where transporting the children is the primary purpose of the journey. This includes school transport bus services, school trips or organised outings such as sporting or social events. It does not include the transport of children on bus services offered to the general public. Buses involved in the Department of Education’s School Transport Scheme are required to be fitted with safety belts since January, 2007.

Organisations or individuals engaged in hiring or contracting bus services for the organised transport of children should ensure that the vehicle used is fitted with safety belts and that these belts meet the required standards.

The majority of buses in the national fleet should have documentation to show that their safety belts or restraint systems meet the required standard. This is due to the additional requirement, introduced in Oct. 2010, as part of the road worthiness test, where owners of buses have been required to present certification showing that the vehicle’s safety belts were installed to an acceptable standard.

It remains the legal responsibility of the bus owner and driver to ensure that their vehicle and all its components are in such condition that no danger is likely to be caused to any person. This includes having the correct certification for the safety belts or restraints.

Failure to comply with the stated requirements may result in a fine of up to 2,000 eur, imprisonment for up to three months or both.

Parents, too, have a moral duty to see that their children travel to school or on excursions etc. in safety. They should also enquire of their children if the use of such belts or restraints is properly checked and supervised.

Mothers, more often, find themselves transporting their own or other children on the many and varied occasions of life’s demands. It doesn’t take much of a journey before the squeals of near murder emanate from the back seat. For children get bored easily, especially on their way to school over and above a trip to the beach. It usually results in mama issuing a severe verbal warning or, worse, turning around and swinging her handbag at one of the warring cats. Concentration on the driving is temporarily interrupted which can result in a crash, sometimes with fatal consequences.

Parents, ensure that each child is properly belted up – remembering that those under 3 years must not travel in a car unless fitted with the correct child seat. Those 3 or over, usually up to 11 or 12 years, must use the correct child seat or booster. Don’t use a rearward-facing child seat in the front seat, for fear of possible serious injury from the airbag. Drivers are responsible for ensuring that all passengers under 17 years are properly restrained or belted. Apart from the risk to injury, there may be 4 penalty points awaiting from the boys in blue, plus a further one by your insurance company.