12-year-old killed in UAE school bus accident: Safety rules that drivers must follow

A tragic incident in Ajman on Tuesday caused the death of a 12-year-old girl

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By A Staff Reporter

Published: Wed 16 Feb 2022, 3:57 PM

Last updated: Wed 16 Feb 2022, 4:14 PM

Accidents and tragedies involving school buses are rare in the UAE as the country has stringent rules to ensure the safety of students.

A tragic incident in Ajman on Tuesday caused the death of a 12-year-old girl as her school bus driver ran over her.

According to the Ajman Police, the tragic incident was reported at 3.45pm. The girl, Sheikha Hassan, was a student of Umm Ammar school.

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The student, who hailed from a Gulf country, got off the bus near her house and moved towards the front to get home. The driver did not spot her and took the bus forward, running over the child.

According to the police, the bus did not have a supervisor on board.

In a safety advisory issued by the Abu Dhabi Police last month, officers had stressed the importance of having supervisors on board.

The attendants are required to ensure that pupils board or get off the bus before it moves.

They are also required to help the children cross the streets and ensure that they hand them over to parents or people waiting for them at their homes.

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The call for supervisors on board intensified as a six-year-old boy died after being left behind on a Dubai school bus in Al Quoz in 2019.

Last year, a four-year-old died in Ajman after he fell asleep in a bus and was left in it for hours.

Safety rules around school buses include:

>> School bus drivers are required to display the 'stop' signs while picking up or dropping off students. The penalty for not displaying the 'stop' sign is Dh500 and six black points.

>> Motorists who ignore the 'stop' signs are fined Dh1,000 and will receive 10 black points against their licences.

>> Drivers are to refrain from using mobile phones while driving.

>> They must always be buckled up.

>> Maximum speed limits for school buses is 80kmph.

sahim@khaleejtimes.com

A Staff Reporter

Published: Wed 16 Feb 2022, 3:57 PM

Last updated: Wed 16 Feb 2022, 4:14 PM

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