Isabel Rodríguez warns that distractions and speed are the main causes of accidents in school transport

The deputy delegate said that this is the first road safety collective to reach the goal of 0 deaths in traffic accidents since 2013, “but we have to be alert because there is still room for improvement.” In the last campaign in Lugo, a total of 86 vehicles were controlled, of which 13 were reported. The administrative irregularities are the ones that generated the highest number of complaints

The subdelegate of the Government in Lugo, Isabel Rodríguez, informed today of the special campaign of surveillance of school transport on Lucan roads that the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT), with the collaboration of the Traffic Group of the Civil Guard and the local police, carries out until next Friday 26 to verify, among other things, the use of the security belt, speed, alcohol consumption and other drugs, authorizations and documents of the vehicle and the driver. In addition, due to the importance of the safety belt in case of an accident, special attention will be paid to its use in those school buses that have them installed.

The deputy delegate said that although this is the first road safety collective to reach the goal of zero deaths in traffic accidents since 2013, “we have to be alert because there is still room for improvement, since there are accidents in which inadequate speed and distractions are the main causes.”

Since this Monday, administrative controls are being carried out on the authorizations and documents that these vehicles must have for the correct provision of the service. It also verifies that the technical conditions and safety elements of the vehicle are those required by the regulations, as well as the special requirements that must be met by the driver himself, such as driving licences and rest times. Among the safety conditions that must be met by all school transports, the maximum age of vehicles intended for this type of passenger is stipulated, the insurance of unlimited civil liability or the obligation to carry the school transport signal.

Security and minors
According to the statistics of the DGT, 90% of accidents that occur during school transport take place at the time of getting in or out of the vehicle, or just in the immediate moments and, in many cases, these are atrocities caused by a distraction of the child, the driver of the school transport or the companions. The DGT also mentions that a large proportion of serious injury claims are related to the lack of proper use of security belts. To avoid this type of accident, it is essential that parents and caregivers respect the stops, come with enough time and never wait for the children on the other side of the road.

Previous campaign result
In the equivalent school transport control campaign conducted in December last year, a total of 86 vehicles were checked in Lugo, of which 13 were reported and 13 were reported. Administrative irregularities are the ones that generated the highest number of complaints, 6 out of 10. Among the causes of these administrative infractions, they include not having special authorization to carry out school transport or not having subscribed to unlimited liability insurance, as required by law.