One way for making it safer for children waiting for, entering, or getting off a school bus is to use a bus stop fitted with flashing lights that are activated when children are at or near to the bus stop. A pilot study was conducted in Sweden to examine the concept. A system was created where radio transmitters carried by the children were used to activate flashing/running lights when the children were present at a radius of 50 m from the bus stop. This enabled children to be visible to the school bus driver and other road users. The bus stop made drivers reduce their speeds when the lights were flashing and safety distances to the bus stop increased. The acceptance of the system including the radio transmitters by children, their parents, and drivers was high.
Abstract