From a risk perspective, the island routes are often regarded as low risk. Narrow winding roads necessitate a maximum speed limit of 60 km/hour, which is manageable due to low traffic volumes.
From a driver’s perspective, however, the risk profile looks different. As of 2009 Queensland Road Rules – like those in other jurisdictions – require occupants to wear seatbelts if a bus has them.
Blue Bus school drivers can be responsible for monitoring up to 57 children seated behind them, while navigating tight, visibly restrictive roads, ferry timetables and unpredictable student behaviour.
“Drivers would regularly be checking mirrors to see if kids were seated and belted,” said Geoff Jacob, Owner of Blue Bus. “That means their eyes were not on the road, and that’s a risk in itself.”
Primary school students can struggle to remain seated. Wanting to sit with friends, turning around to talk, or moving around the bus creates distraction and stress for drivers.
“We don’t ask teachers to manage a classroom of 30 kids without support,” said Geoff.
“Yet we expect a driver to manage up to 57 children while driving a heavy vehicle. This can make for an incredibly stressful and hazardous situation.”
Thus, for Blue Bus, the safety challenge was not whether seatbelts were fitted. It was ensuring they were being worn properly, consistently, and without placing additional cognitive load on drivers.
