Worry for children drives bus owner to fit flashing lights

Tom Petricevich is determined to make school buses safer.
The Far North bus owner has fitted flashing lights to one of his buses and is encouraging other operators to do the same.
His drive to make children safer around buses followed the death of 13-year-old Kaitaia College student Grant Collins. Grant was struck by a vehicle just after getting off a school bus and dashing across State Highway 1, north of Kaitaia, last April.
It was one of Mr Petricevich's buses and he is determined such an incident will not happen again.
Northland coroner Brandt Shortland has made recommendations following the inquest into Grant's death. They include fitting buses with flashing lights.
Mr Petricevich did not wait for the coroner's report and since last year has worked on designing and getting a set of flashing lights on a sign to make school buses more visible to motorists.
An Auckland company has built a prototype which Mr Petricevich hopes to promote to other New Zealand bus companies doing school runs.
Immediately after the accident, bright yellow signs warning motorists to slow to 20km/h were mounted in the back windows of the company's school buses.
The law already requires drivers not to exceed 20km/h when passing a stopped school bus that is letting children on or off.
The new signs have the internationally recognised picture of two children walking. Two amber lights at the top flash while the bus is stationary. Already drivers have noticed cars slowing.
"These signs should become mandatory on school buses. When motorists see a school bus they have to slow down and watch out for these kids who can be unpredictable," Mr Petricevich said.
The coroner also suggested hydraulic arms on buses which would mean all traffic had to come to a stop while children were getting on and off buses.
Mr Petricevich has already sourced such an arm.
"My message to owners and operators when they are carrying kids is that you have to make sure you do as much as you can for their safety around the bus."
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.