Driver warning system trialled in Scotland

Lights triggered at bus stops or crossings warn of schoolchildren boarding or leaving a school vehicle.

A system that warns drivers of schoolchildren boarding or leaving a school vehicle has been trialled in Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen and Moray.

The Amparo SeeMe system, developed in Sweden, uses an automatic radio ‘tag’, attached to a child’s school bag to trigger solar-powered warning lights on bus stops or at crossings, to warn drivers schoolchildren are in the vicinity.

Local authority surveys report that the warning signs have reduced driver speeds by up to 13 per cent, from 53mph to 45mph, when the signs were flashing. Pupils also reported a reduction in the number of cars overtaking school buses which have stopped to pick up or drop off children.

The pilot scheme was launched in May last year and ran for several months, before being brought back for a second phase in February. Local parents reported that 76 per cent had noticed the signs and 86 per cent felt they helped to alert them to the presence of schoolchildren.

The Amparo SeeMe system in used across Sweden and has also being launched worldwide, with new trials beginning as far afield as Ireland and Australia.

Across the UK, Department for Transport figures show that 28,126 children aged 0-15 years were injured in road accidents. 3,331 of these were seriously injured and 141 were killed.

Leon Nilsson, the COO of Amparo Solutions said: "Keeping it simple means a cost-efficient solution with low maintenance. It is also easily adaptable to changing needs, for example if the bus stop needs to be moved, no investment in infrastructure such as electrical supply is needed."

"Our experience is that the most dangerous situation is when the child is walking to or from the school or school bus, either on their way to the bus stop, crossing the road, or in connection with getting on or off the bus."

Further information:
Amparo SeeMe