Bus owner raises bar for child safety

A Northland bus owner is the first to fit flashing lights to a school bus but now wants a law change to make it even safer for children getting on and off buses on major highways.
Kaitaia businessman Tom Petricevich has invested $5000 in the two flashing signs and is determined to get drivers to slow down while passing the school bus.
His drive to make children safer around buses follows the death of 13-year-old Kaitaia College student Grant Collins.
Grant was struck by a vehicle just after getting off a school bus owned by Mr Petricevich and dashing across State Highway 1, north of Kaitaia, last April. He died in Starship Hospital 25 days later after his parents Lisa and Malcolm Collins made the agonising decision to turn off the life support machines.
Since the death Mr Petricevich has worked determinedly to have a flashing sign designed by an Auckland company. Since attaching them to the front and rear of one of his buses, bus drivers have reported a marked decrease in the speed cars having been passing the bus.
The new signs have the internationally recognised picture of two children walking. Two amber lights at the top flash while the bus is stationary. The driver activates the signs about 60 metres before stopping and they remain on for about 60 metres after the bus has pulled away.
The law already requires drivers not to exceed 20km/h when passing a stopped school bus that is letting children on or off.
But Mr Petricevich wants New Zealand to adopt a law similar law to that in Australia where drivers are required to slow to 40km/h while the lights are flashing, regardless of whether the bus is stationary.
"When the lights come on you can see them from about 500 metres away. It's really effective," Mr Petricevich said.
"Anything we can do to make children safe around school buses is a must."
Mrs Collins, who has since moved to Rotorua but continues to promote safety around school buses, praised Mr Petricevich's push for a law change.
She said 40km/h was a more realistic speed for drivers to pass a school bus as it was not always easy to combine 20km/h with the bus being stationary.
"It's so close to my heart and even I struggle to gauge when a bus has stopped and get down to the legal speed on a state highway."
Mrs Collins said having flashing lights installed on buses made them more visible and drivers more aware that children were about.
Mr Petricevich had promised the Collins' family at a coroner's inquest into Grant's death he would not stop until he had the flashing lights designed and installed.
"He is a man with passion and he deserves an award for his commitment to this project. he is making it a much safer place for children to be around school buses," Mrs Collins said.
Mr Petricevich said the cost of the flashing signs would deter most bus owners from installing them and he was currently trying to find a business who could make them cheaper.
The number of children hurt while getting on and off school buses in New Zealand over the past decade has seen 10 fatalities, with 15 children seriously injured and 45 with minor injuries.