BY DELISA THWALA
MBABANE– The roads are expected to get busy!
School days bring congestion as school buses are picking up their passengers, children on foot are hurrying to get to school before the bell rings, and harried parents are trying to drop their kids off before work.
It is never more important for drivers to slow down and pay attention than when kids are present, especially before and after school, Royal Eswatini Police Services (REPS) have warned parents about road safety ahead of schools opening tomorrow.
Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati implored parents and school bus drivers to be extra careful on the road.
Vilakati further warned parents to always look for licensed school buses and road-compliant drivers to transport their children.
“If you are driving behind a bus, allow a greater following distance than if you were driving behind a car. It will give you more time to stop once the yellow lights start flashing. It is illegal in all states to pass a school bus that is stopped to load or unload children,” said Vilakati.
In addition to that, she warned parents to never pass a bus from behind or from either direction if they are on an undivided road if it is stopped to load or unload children.
If the yellow or red lights are flashing and the stop arm is extended, traffic must stop.
Vilakati mentioned that the area 10 feet around a school bus is the most dangerous for children, saying people should stop far enough back to allow them space to safely enter and exit the bus.
“Be alert, children often are unpredictable, and they tend to ignore hazards and take risks. According to research by our National Safety Council, most of the children who lose their lives in bus-related incidents are four to seven years old, and they are walking. They are hit by the bus, or by a motorist illegally passing a stopped bus. A few precautions go a long way toward keeping children safe,” she said.
