12 February 2025

Call for seatbelts after school bus crash

by Rebecca Hannant

A parent of a student at Hornsea School and Language College has launched a petition calling for seatbelts to be made mandatory on school buses after several children were injured in a crash on the A1035 last week.

On Wednesday, January 22, an Ellie Rose Travel bus carrying Hornsea School pupils was involved in a collision with a tractor on the road between Breamer Lane and Main Street, Sigglesthorne. About 40 children were on the bus at the time of the incident.

Emergency services attended, and a road closure was put in place. A 15-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy were taken to hospital with serious injuries. A further 29 passengers between the ages of 11 and 16 suffered minor injuries.

In a statement, Humberside Police said: “Officers were called to reports of a road traffic collision between a double-decker school bus and a tractor on the A1035 Leas Lane near Seaton at around 3.30pm on Wednesday, January 22.

“Emergency services attended, and a 15-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy have been taken to hospital to receive medical treatment to serious injuries.

“Twenty-nine passengers between the ages of 11 and 16 years old suffered minor injuries. Road closures were put in place at the scene to allow emergency services to work safely, the road has since been reopened. Investigations are ongoing.”

Hornsea School staff quickly attended the scene to offer support to the students involved and help contact their parents.

Alternative travel arrangements were made to help the students get home safely.

In a statement, Hornsea School and Language College said: “Parents were notified and members of the Senior Leadership Team joined colleagues and emergency services at the roadside, ensuring that students were checked over by the ambulance teams.

“A small number of students were transported to hospital and a replacement bus service was organised to ensure the remaining pupils were able to complete their journey home.

“While incidents like this are very rare, we understand that for those involved it can be distressing. Support will be available in school to students and staff who have been involved, including support through the educational psychology team.”

Following the incident, Kelly Jones, a parent of a child at the school, launched a petition asking for the Government to make the use of seatbelts on all school buses mandatory to help prevent similar incidents happening in the future.

Kelly, whose daughter is in year eight, was on the second bus, which was not involved in the collision. She said her daughter was left feeling worried about travelling to and from school following the incident, and other parents expressed similar concerns.

Kelly said: “The distressing fact is that our children would not have had to bear such anguish had they been wearing seatbelts.

“It’s deeply unsettling that a solution as simple as implementing seatbelts on school buses could have averted this tragedy.

“Every day, thousands of children across the UK rely on school buses to transport them safely to and from school.

“However, many of these vehicles lack a critical safety feature that could save lives: seatbelts. While seatbelts are mandatory in cars and many other forms of transport, school buses remain an exception, putting children at unnecessary risk during travel.”

Kelly added that buses often feature metal bars, which could pose a greater risk to individuals in the event of a crash.

As the Gazette went to press, the petition had reached more than 900 signatures.

To view or sign the petition, visit change.org/p/mandate-seat-belts-on-all-school-buses-for-the-safety-of-our-children.

Ellie Rose Travel has been approached for comment.