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Old 24th February 2006, 01:04   #6 (permalink)
nitrous
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A school-going child is an immature road user, due to tender age. He/she may dart across the road chasing a flying piece of paper.

In the USA, they have slightly mitigated the danger to a school child's life and limb as follows.

A stopped school-bus is equivalent to a red traffic signal.

All traffic approaching or overtaking from either direction (front or back) of a stopped school bus flashing alternating red lamps must stop and not move until the bus moves again or the red lights are off.

And the school-bus will not switch off its flashing red light until its dropped or to-be-picked up children have completed crossing the road.

People who violate this rule face heavy penalties, including fines, adding demerit points against or even suspending driver licenses, and occasionally imprisonment.

Belgium and Germany require traffic to pass stopped school buses at dead slow speed that allow quick stop.

Japan, Taiwan, and UK ask drivers to pass carefully a stopped school bus.

The speed limit is 20 km/h in New Zealand when passing a stopped school bus
This, and a lot more is what we need.

School buses in our country shouldn't be any other bus.
They should meet a set of rules to be licensed as a school bus.
These buses can be given special tax advantages.
They must undergo FC(fitness certification) every year.

Road users must be more careful about others on the road.
Parents must make sure their children have boarded/ dropped safely.
It takes a lot of effort to make this happen.
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