Encouraging school bus safety

Ideas for communities on promoting 20 km/h as the speed limit for passing a stationary school bus.

Contents

• Introduction
• Why promote 20 km/h as the speed limit for passing a stationary school bus?
• Getting it right; developing an effective promotion
• Promotional ideas
• Advice on using common initiatives
• Resources
• Appendix 1: Checklist for media releases
• Appendix 2: Key safety messages for school newsletters

1. Introduction

Thousands of children make the journey to and from school safely by school bus each day. In fact, travelling by school bus is one of the safest ways for children to travel.

Our aim is to make it even safer. One way we can do this is by raising public awareness that the speed limit for vehicles passing a stationary school bus is 20 km/h.

This resource has been developed to provide information and ideas to help communities promote the legal speed limit for passing a school bus. The list of ideas is not exhaustive, but may provide some valuable insights into ways of getting this message across effectively.

By encouraging motorists to obey this law, we will be helping children who are getting on and off school buses be safer.

2. Why promote 20 km/h as the speed limit for passing a stationary school bus?

Promoting this message could prevent serious injuries and save the lives of our children. Here's what the road safety statistics have to say:

Fatalities and serious injuries relating to school buses

Between 1993 and 2002 there were 12 fatalities, 20 serious injuries and 77 minor child injuries associated with school buses.

Where school bus-related incidents occur

While school bus-related incidents occur in equal numbers on high speed and lower speed roads, fatalities on high speed roads are much higher. Seventy-five percent of school bus-related fatalities occur on roads with a 100 km/h speed limit. As shown in Figure 1 (below), the faster a vehicle is travelling, the higher the probability of a child being killed. If vehicles travelled at the legal speed limit, these incidents would be less frequent and when they did occur, they would cause less injury.

Figure 1: Vehicle speed and the probability of pedestrian death (Land Transport Safety Authority, June 2001)

Initial speed of vehicle (km/h)	20	30	40	60	70	100
Probability of pedestrian death if hit at initial speed (%)	5	8	27	90	99	100

3. Getting it right: Developing an effective promotion

Effective promotion is about engaging the right people in the right place in the right way at the right time.

That means getting your message across to people at a time and place when they are most ready to engage with it - eg, you wouldn't promote a message about not speeding at a race meeting, because people are in the wrong frame of mind to buy into it.

It also means using a form of communication that people you want to target will relate to - eg, do they relate and respond to local personalities, what newspapers do they and don't they read, would they prefer face-to-face contact, such as promotions at local meetings or occasions?

The RIGHT place to start

Ask yourself: what do you want people to think, feel, do or say?

The RIGHT people

The right people are all vehicle drivers, but to be most effective, break them down into manageable groups - eg parents, grandparents, teachers, caregivers, couriers and fleet drivers who are often on the road, local businesses whose staff drive in your local area as part of their work, teenage brothers and sisters.

The promotion examples in this resource are targeting all drivers, but could be adapted if you choose to focus your promotion on a smaller group.

The RIGHT budget

Have realistic expectations about what your budget can achieve; think about how to get 'the biggest bang for your buck' and how to spend your money wisely.

If you can't afford to pay someone to create an advertisement, run a competition to create one or use students; you'll get free publicity as well as an advertisement.

If you can't afford advertising at all, think of creative events that will get free media attention and run a series of them to get coverage over time (rather than just a one-off).

You might consider having a stand, putting up some posters and giving out flyers at a community event. Keep in mind that if the overall event is promoting a different message from yours, and it is likely to be bigger and better and take all of the audience's attention, your money is probably better spent elsewhere.

Use your resource wisely and choose promotional activities that will get your target audiences' attention in appropriate and effective ways.

4. Promotional ideas

This list is not exhaustive, but it may give you some ideas to help get your promotion underway:

• Have a mural painted on the side of a local school bus stop. You could run a competition to design the mural.
• Encourage your local schools to update their school road safety policy to include an annual promotion of the 20 km/h message (or alternatively, adopt a school road safety policy and include an annual promotion of the 20 km/h message).
• Develop a media release for local newspapers that outlines any initiatives surrounding your promotion. Local radio and/or newspaper journalists may be interested in working with you on a story around the issue. (Read advice on writing a media release (below) and see Appendix 1.)
• Have flyers with the 20 km/h message available for distribution at local events - eg, parent/teacher interviews, field days, community events and festivals. Placing flyers under car windscreen wipers is one way of distributing them.
• Encourage your local school and other community organisations to have regular 'road safety tips' in their newsletters. Provide them with your 20 km/h message design or use the one provided in this kit. (Appendix 2 also includes some school bus safety messages that could be used in school newsletters to help keep children safe around school buses.)
• Lobby community newspapers - ask them to give regular space to road safety articles and promotions. Provide them with your 20 km/h message design or use the one provided in this kit.
• Use your 20 km/h message design or the one provided in this kit to advertise the message in local newspapers, magazines or newsletters.
• Write a letter to your local editor highlighting the need for lower speeds - in particular, when driving past stationary school buses.
• Use your 20 km/h message design or the one provided in this kit on a banner to use at your local school or at community events.
• Run a competition in your local paper that asks a question - eg, 'What is the legal speed limit for passing a stationary school bus when children are getting on or off that school bus?'.

5. Advice on using common initiatives

• Flyers and posters
• Media releases
• Handling media enquiries
• Preparing for an interview

Flyers and posters

Flyers and posters come in all shapes and sizes. They can be an effective way of getting your road safety message across at places that are frequently busy - eg, libraries, school halls, supermarkets, churches, malls and community events.

To be effective, flyers should:

• contain one short key message - eg, '20 km/h past a stationary school bus'
• use a format that draws the reader's attention quickly
• outline what is in it for the reader - eg, making children in their community safer around school buses.

You should also consider how and where you're going to distribute the flyers - eg:

• residential letterboxes
• supermarkets
• malls
• local markets
• under car windscreen wipers
• churches and church halls
• Citizens Advice Bureaux
• Plunket rooms
• at local events.

Media releases

Think about what makes news - eg, something new, facts and figures, well-known personalities, human interest stories, etc. Use this to determine what the main thrust of your story will be. This, in turn, will help you to develop your headline and introduction. Aim to be snappy and concise, and don't be afraid to be creative!

• Try to get the most important points of your story in the first one or two paragraphs. When space is limited, sub-editors cut from the bottom.
• Try to limit your item to five or six short paragraphs on one page, but make sure you include all essential information (such as who, what, when, where, why and how).
• If there's a good picture opportunity, let the journalist know either in a covering note or in bold at the bottom of the release.
• If there's a lot of background detail, attach a 'backgrounder' to the release.
• Keep it simple. Use clear, unambiguous language appropriate for the audience. Avoid jargon, abbreviations and technical terms.
• Be credible. Attribute statements to a spokesperson and include their title and organisation (eg, 'Environment Bay of Plenty Regional Council Transport Planner, Jack Brown says…').
• Use facts and figures to support your claims. Don't exaggerate.
• Be accurate. Check that your facts, grammar and spelling are correct. Be extra vigilant when it comes to checking names, phone numbers, times and dates.

See Appendix 1 for a checklist for writing media releases.

Handling media enquiries

If a journalist contacts you for comment or information on a particular road safety issue, don't rush into replying straight away. Ask the journalist:

• who they are
• what media organisation they represent
• why they are calling
• what their angle is (if possible)
• when their deadline is
• who else they are talking to.

Then say you'll get back to them shortly. This gives you time to check your facts, ask advice if you need to, and prepare yourself. If this isn't your area of expertise, it allows you to brief whoever will be handling the enquiry.

Preparing for an interview

Prepare for a media interview by doing the following:

• Write a list of possible questions you may be asked then write down the answers you want to give. Practise saying your answers aloud.
• Write down the key messages you want to get across. Try to keep to two or three key messages. Remember: with radio interviews, you'll often only be allocated a short 'sound bite' (perhaps 10–15 seconds), so stick to your main points during the interview.
• If you cannot answer a question, say so and explain why.
• Often reporters won't have time to do background research. If you can, provide them with background material (eg, supporting research papers). This will increase the likelihood that your story will be reported in context.
• There is no such thing as 'off the record'. Don't say anything to a reporter that you don't want to appear in a story. A reporter is entitled to use anything you say even, if you say it 'off the record'.

Remember that you can get help from your regional Land Transport New Zealand office, if necessary. This may save you time and anxiety, as well as add extra insight to your news story.

6. Resources

• Visit the the RoadSense/Ata Haere website. This has excellent road safety information for teachers and communities (including parents), and interactive games and activities for children on getting to school safely.
• Make use of our school bus safety images and road safety display materials. Contact our Advertising and Communications Co-ordinator on 04 931 8724 or email our Helpdesk: info@nzta.govt.nz.
• Make use of our road safety publications (pamphlets, brochures, factsheets etc). Visit the Publications area of this website, phone our Publications Co-ordinator on 04 931 8773 or email our Helpdesk: info@nzta.govt.nz.
• Talk to a Police Education Officer (PEO) at your local police station. They can assist with information and resources, including the Road safe series.
• Visit the New Zealand Police website. This contains information about the NZ Police Road safe series, and has road safety education resources.

7. Appendix 1: Checklist for media releases

1.	At the top of the page include the name and title of the media contact, name of the publication and the date that the release is to be sent out. If you don't have a contact, ring and find out who to send it to. If you can't get a contact name, send your release to the 'News Editor' or 'Chief Reporter'.
2.	Make sure the headline is in bold type and slightly larger than the rest of your document.
3.	If faxing your release, print it on your organisation's letterhead.
4.	If emailing, put the headline in the subject field. Cut and paste your release into the body of the email, as well as attaching it separately (preferably as a Word document), including your organisation's logo if possible.
5.	If you're emailing pictures with the release, remember that most publications require pictures to be of high-resolution quality. Don't forget to check what file size they are able to receive.
6.	Include your name and after-hours contact details, in case the media want to follow up on your release. If you will be unavailable, provide an alternative contact with the appropriate details.
7.	Send your release out at least three working days before you want the story to appear in daily papers. For weekly papers, send your release out at least two weeks in advance.

8. Appendix 2: Safety messages for school newsletters

• The speed limit for driving past a school bus on either side of the road is 20 km/h. Drivers should always keep to the speed limit.
• Children should always wait for the bus on the same side of the road as the bus stop. Parents shouldn't call out to children to walk across the road to them.
• Parents should discuss safe behaviour on and around the bus with their children, and role-model safe practices.
• Parents should park their vehicles out of the way of the school bus and children who may be catching it.
• Parents should explain to children the importance of waiting quietly for the bus, and not playing games that could have them running onto the road.

[Adapted from Street Talk promotion kit, LTSA, 2003]

Last updated: 11 August 2005