It's NSW Bus Safety Week from 6 - 13 November and MidCoast Council is urging everyone to be 'bus aware' every day.
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The key messages this year for MidCoast road and bus users are: slow down to 40km/h when the bus lights are flashing; and give way to buses.
Do you know the road rules? School buses use signs and flashing lights to warn drivers that they are picking up and dropping off children. You must slow down to 40km/h when bus lights flash and look out for children crossing the road.
By law you must slow down to 40km/h or less as you drive past a stopped bus in the same direction while the lights are flashing as there may be children crossing the road or about to cross the road. Wig Wag lights also flash on the front of buses reminding drivers that there may be children crossing or about to cross the road.
From 2012 to 2016, 29 people lost their lives and 474 people were seriously injured in bus crashes on NSW roads. "That's a statistic we don’t want to add to on the MidCoast" says Council's Road Safety Officer, Chris Dimarco.
You can brush up on bus safety at bebusaware.com.au and during Bus Safety Week, watch out for reminder signs on local buses. You can also make sure your children visit the safety town website for an interactive fun exploration of road safety for kids at www.safetytown.com.au/town/welcome-student/
Bus Safety Week is organised by Transport for NSW as part of the ‘Be Bus Aware’ campaign which aims to reinforce the road rules relating to buses and promote safer on-road interactions between pedestrians, motorists, bicycle riders and buses.