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Risk assessment information for your school trip

The safety and wellbeing of your group on our school trips is always our top priority and we never compromise on it. Our tried and tested safety management systems are backed up by rigorous internal and external auditing which is why teachers and parents trust us to look after the needs of 32,000 travellers each year. 

Use the resources on this page to help plan your school trip and to inform the school trip risk assessment for your group. If you need any further information, please do get in touch . 

Voyager School Travel is an Assured Member of the  School Travel Forum (STF) and has been awarded the prestigious Learning outside the Classroom Quality Badge (LOtC). This means that you can book your trip with confidence and reduce the amount of risk assessment paperwork you need to complete.  The Outdoor Education Advisors Panel (OEAP) national guidance states 'when the provider holds the LOtC Quality Badge there is normally no need to seek further assurances from the provider about the safety of provision'. 

As a School Travel Forum member and holder of the LOtC Quality Badge you can be secure in the knowledge that we:

• Understand and facilitate the needs of educational travel
• Have effective Safety Management Systems in place, specifically focused on travelling with young students
• Offer fair terms and conditions and the best financial security

A summary of our health, safety and safeguarding standards are contained in the Safety Management System. The information contained in the Safety Management System will be useful to you when you are writing a school trip risk assessment for your specific group. 

Voyager School Travel holds the Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) Quality Badge which demonstrates that our quality and safety systems have been externally accredited.

Voyager School Travel has also been awarded the Adventure mark, a non-statutory safety scheme devised by the Adventure Activity Industry Advisory Committee (AAIAC) for providers of adventurous activities whose safety management and related delivery systems have been inspected and found to comply with standards of good practice in the adventure activity industry.

Click on the certificates of compliance below.

We provide risk assessments for all the activities instructed by our own staff, which include information regarding our operating procedures and safeguarding policies. This information will help inform the personalised risk assessments you need to prepare for your group.

For tours, we can provide generic city risk assessments, supplemented with specific information about a destination, such as disabled access. We take all reasonable steps to obtain evidence from excursion providers that their service is suitable for school groups and that they have properly evaluated the health and safety aspects of the activity. We will provide this information to the trip organiser so that they can make informed decisions about the suitability of the activity for their specific group.

We also offer financial support for school trip leaders to take inspection visits and undertake their own risk assessments (see Inspection Visits section below).

We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people to help keep them safe. We are committed to practise in a way that protects children from the risk of harm or abuse and follow all current and relevant UK legislation and guidance. All staff members, activity leaders and coach drivers who come into contact with children undergo a DBS and/or equivalent Police check under the Safeguarding Vulnerable groups Act 2006.

We take the safety of those with food allergies and intolerances very seriously. We work closely with party leaders to ensure that all dietary requirements are identified and managed on our trips.

Unless specified otherwise, all our school trips include comprehensive travel insurance. Find the full policy below and read a summary of the ways you're covered on our school travel insurance page .

All sports and activity programmes have an appropriate operating licence, conform to Voyager School Travel’s Code of Practice and have suitable levels of Public Liability Insurance.

Voyager School Travel is a full member of the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) and is licensed by the Civil Aviation Authority under the Air Travel Organisers Licence (ATOL). 

All monies paid to Voyager School Travel are protected by either ABTOT or ATOL. ABTOT provides protection for school trips by rail, ferry or coach while ATOL provides protection for school trips which include a flight.

Read our blog for more clarity on the financial protection ensured by ABTA and ATOL membership .

Wherever possible, school groups will travel with our own coach company, Pegasus Coaches . By operating our own coach company we can guarantee a high standard of quality and care for our school groups. We provide a generic risk assessment for school groups travelling on our coaches which can be accessed below. 

All coaches contracted by Voyager, comply with all relevant UK and European legislation, including those laws concerning seatbelts on coaches and drivers hours. Coach operators used more than 5 times in a year will have an ‘in situ’ audit once every 3 years. Tour itineraries are agreed with the coach company to ensure the requirements of EU Drivers’ Hours legislation is adhered to. 

All air, rail and sea transportation complies with regulations set down by the appropriate Maritime and Coastguard agency, Civil Aviation Authority or equivalent regulatory body.

Wherever possible your group will be staying at one of our residential school trip centres , or at a partner centre, where we can maintain the highest standard of accommodation and care for your group.

In the case that your group is not staying at one of our residential centres, a qualified member of the Voyager School Travel leadership team will have selected and audited your accommodation to ensure it conforms to all local and European legislation, as well as meeting Voyager School Travel’s published Health & Safety requirements.

We understand that you may want to scope out your school trip for yourself before taking your students, so we welcome teachers to visit our own centres in France, Spain and Germany in order for any pre-planning and risk assessments to be completed. We can assist with the planning and costs for visits to other destinations too. Get in touch today to enquire about inspection visits for your chosen school trip.

We are committed to make sure that modern slavery, human trafficking, forced labour or similar human rights abuses are not taking place within our business and will not knowingly support or deal any business that engages in such practices.

We require our third party agents to be alert to the risks that modern slavery presents and to confirm that they share our commitment to ensure that modern slavery is not taking place anywhere within their organisation or supply chain.

Book an inspection visit

Join us on a subsidised visit to see our educational programmes in action at our centres.

More helpful resources for planning your school trip

• Our trade associations and accreditations
• The difference between ABTA and ATOL and how your school trip is protected
• How we support you
• How to book

How Voyager School Travel delivers the best service

You are in specialist hands

Our team use their teaching, language & destination experience to organise educational trips that are not only enriching but hassle-free.  Read more →

Safety assured, bonded & accredited

As a member of the School Travel Forum & protected through ABTA & ATOL you can be sure of our high standards.  Read more →

Trusted by teachers

Schools trust Voyager School Travel to organise the educational trips for over 32,000 passengers a year.  Read more →

We deliver the educational elements

Signature educational experiences with our own language & activity instructors allow  teachers to enjoy the trip too.  Read more →

Stay at our own residential centres

Groups staying at our own residential centres in France will benefit from high quality learning, safety & service. Read more →

Our own overseas teams

Peace of mind knowing our French m anagers, instructors, coach drivers & support team will look after your every need. Read more →

For teachers who are serious about the educational outcomes of their school trip.

FCM’s Travel Risk Assessment Checklist 

Your guide to corporate travel risk assessment 

Business travel (and business in general) has gone through a messy transformation over the past two years. How are travel risk management programs keeping up? 

Between the pandemic and better cloud access, remote work software and digital natives moving into the workforce – the game has changed forever. As a result, more businesses are shifting their approach from travel risk management to people-centric risk management, keeping employees safe, no matter where they are.   

Here’s how you can follow suit. 

What is a travel risk assessment? 

From missed flights and food poisoning, to natural disasters and disease outbreaks – business travel poses risks to both the traveler(s) and your business itself. Pre-travel risk assessments help organizations of all sizes meet their duty of care (DOC) obligations , protect their staff, and ensure business continuity should something go wrong during any phase of the trip.   

That being said, it can’t predict every probable outcome. However, a well-designed corporate travel risk assessment can help businesses prepare for the worst and keep your employees safe while they’re out of office.

When do I need to carry out a risk assessment? 

While risk assessments are not compulsory for domestic travel, they are strongly encouraged for any substantial or complicated business trip. 

New Destinations

International travel, last minute trips, how to complete a travel risk assessment in 5 simple steps .

Done well, a travel risk assessment template helps you cover your corporate obligations and gives your employees peace of mind while they’re traveling. When everyone involved knows the potential risks and the mitigation plan, there’s no confusion if and when something goes wrong.  

1. Identify environmental risks 

Environmental risks are any threats associated with your destination that can impact your employees and/or their travel plans. People often focus on the potential for major events like natural disasters or terrorist attacks, but it’s far more likely that your team will run into minor disruptions, like car accidents or pick-pocketing. Make sure you cross the following off your travel risk assessment checklist: 

Illness and injury 

Increased risk of illness or disease (Ex: malaria in some countries) 

Vaccinations or medication required before travel   

Healthcare availability at the destination: how do travelers get treatment for injuries or illness?   

Natural disasters and adverse weather 

Does the destination have a high number of natural disasters or extreme weather?   

Some weather events are more common at certain times of the year (Ex: bushfires in Australia during summer, tornado season in parts of the US)   

Transportation 

Travel restrictions in the area    

Rules around foreign licenses for hire cars   

Which side of the road must you drive on?   

Any increased travel risks (Ex: poor quality roads, dangerous local traffic, extreme weather) 

Crime and civil unrest 

What’s the political situation at your destination? Could it change quickly?   

Does your country’s embassy recommend travel to the destination?   

Crime rates  

Third-party contractors and providers    

Reliability and safety of third-party contractors (Ex: will hired drivers show up on time and drive safely?)   

Accommodation security 

Internet access and cybersecurity   

Availability and reliability of internet access, particularly if employees will be visiting remote areas   

Cybersecurity and the risk of security breaches while working remotely   

2. Consider risks to the individual 

Individual risks, on the other hand, are those directly related to the travelers themselves. Get employees to fill in a risk assessment form well before they travel, so you can most accurately assess their individual risk levels. While you don’t want to intrude on your employees’ privacy, it is important to be aware of any threats that could come up during travel, including:   

Does the employee feel healthy enough to travel?   

Do they have health conditions or disabilities that could require accommodation during the trip (Ex: a chronic health condition that requires frequent breaks or mobility issues that necessitate a car service or taxi rather than a ride-sharing service)?   

How are gender roles enforced in society? (Ex: Certain behaviors or customs that are considered normal for women in most Western societies are not tolerated or may even be considered illegal in others) 

Female corporate travelers are at higher risk of sexual assault and theft of personal belongings 

Are same-sex relationships criminalized at this destination? 

Other factors to consider: race, religion, and ethnicity 

Does the traveling employee have a driver’s license?  

Will they be able to drive a hire car after an overnight flight?  

Other personal limitations and preferences  

Food and water safety 

Allergies could make it difficult to find suitable food in certain countries, requiring a plan in case of a reaction (Ex: person with a peanut allergy traveling in South East Asia)  

Is the tap water potable? 

3. Evaluate the risks and create a mitigation plan 

Now that you know the risks, you need to determine if travel is worth the risk. And if so, what’s the plan for mitigating said risk? This is where a risk assessment matrix may be of use. 

Business travel risk assessment example:  

When managing risk you’re looking at two main factors: probability and severity . 

At one end of scale is something very severe, like a violent political revolution. Even if this only falls under low likelihood, its potential impact is too dangerous to take a chance on since neither traveler nor travel manager can mitigate the risk effectively. However, at the other end of the spectrum, you have something like the stomach flu. This is always a probable risk, but one that can easily be treated with minimal effort. 

4. Communicate with your travelers 

Your travelers need to go on business trips willingly and with eyes wide open. 

Prior to any travel, your employees should be fully aware and conversant with the environment they will be visiting as well as the risks associated with it. This information can be as basic as maps for the areas they will be visiting, to advice on actions to take during a mugging. 

But communication doesn’t stop at a pre-trip brief – it’s an ongoing conversation throughout the entire travel management process. Ensure your travelers know how to access support teams and other important resources that could assist them during a crisis. It also might be worth investing in real-time alerts so you and your travelers don’t get blindsided by sudden changes. 

5. Review and update as needed 

The only perfect travel risk management policy is a dynamic one.  

What has consistently worked well in the past may not necessarily yield the same results tomorrow. After each journey, take time to reflect on the experience: identify what worked seamlessly, and pinpoint areas that could be improved. Could incidents have been prevented? Could responses be more efficient? By asking these questions, you lay the foundation for proactive preparation. 

And in the ever-changing landscape of business travel, adaptability is the key to ensuring your policies remain as effective as possible. 

No risky business here 

With the FCM Platform, you can empower your travel risk management with cutting-edge safety and risk features that simplify the assessment process. Our platform is designed to provide real-time insights, dynamic policy adjustments, and a comprehensive view of potential travel risks – all in one place.  

We work with leading third-party risk management providers, like Crisis24 and SHERPA, to alleviate the burden of managing risks on a grand scale, especially for multinational corporations. Together, we work tirelessly to ensure your travelers feel secure and supported, no matter where their business takes them. 

Plus, our dedicated staff are available around the clock to provide support in any and every situation. 

Want business travel that’s safe, informed, and efficient? Let’s talk. 

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How to Create Effective Travel Risk Assessments for Work Trips

As the global landscape evolves, organizations must prioritize the well-being of their travelers through strategic planning and continuous improvement. Travel risk assessments are part of the foundation of that effort.

Every great organization that sends personnel out into the world has an eye on safety and security. If the saying is “An ounce of preparation is worth a pound of cure,” then the real-life approach is to give your people all the information and tools they need — ahead of time — to have a safe trip. One of the best ways to do that is with a travel risk assessment.

A travel risk assessment, also called a pre-travel risk assessment, is typically a comprehensive document that includes relevant information and risk analysis for a person’s upcoming journey or travel destination. As part of their duty of care responsibilities , organizations should create effective travel risk assessments for their teams and people.

Creating a risk assessment is an excellent business practice. It allows travelers to focus on their work while armed with the knowledge of how to address a crisis. In a world where nearly half of business travelers say that health and safety are the biggest threats to their trips (according to a 2023 SAP Concur survey ), giving them the resources to plan for risks can go a long way towards assuaging those concerns.

Serious trip planning requires more than a cursory web search before booking your ticket and jetting off, however. Good risk assessments are robust, iterative, and unique to each trip’s risks and concerns.

WHAT IS TRAVEL RISK? 

First, it’s important to understand what it means to assess travel risk.

Travel risk refers to the potential threats and hazards that people face while on the road, especially in the context of work trips. It encompasses a wide range of factors that can impact their safety, security, and well-being.

There are obvious and extreme travel hazards that most people can name: the threats of terrorism, gun violence, or natural disasters, for example. But there are other types of travel hazards, both mundane and out-of-the-ordinary – everything from road closures and public transportation reroutes to civil unrest and rare endemic diseases.

Travel risk is also about probability or likelihood. Not every threat is the same in every location, and not every threat impacts each traveler in the same way.

Travel risk for different travelers and locations

A travel risk assessment is most effective when it is targeted to the location the person is traveling to, and details how likely it is that a threat will hinder or derail a trip.

The threats in Mexico are not the same as those in Saudi Arabia, and not all threats are equally likely to impact each person. For example, women travelers and LGBTQ+ travelers face different threats and different threat levels, and may need to approach these situations differently than their coworkers . Background and job history can also play a role when traveling to places like China .

In short, a travel risk assessment must be tailored to the individuals taking the trip and consider many factors that include the travelers themselves.

What are the components of a travel risk assessment?

A thorough travel risk assessment considers health, security, safety, and transportation factors to identify and mitigate potential risks.

The following is a typical list of the components of a travel risk assessment, though your organization may choose to include additional components or focus more on certain factors.

1. Health and medical considerations

Health and medical considerations can include:   

• Vaccinations and health precautions : Assessing the need for vaccinations based on the destination. Providing information on necessary health precautions to prevent illnesses during the trip.
• Access to medical facilities: Evaluating the availability and accessibility of medical facilities at the destination. Ensuring travelers have information on nearby hospitals, clinics, and emergency services.

2. Security and safety

Your team’s safety is paramount, but exactly what issues will you have to keep them informed of when they travel to a new location?

• Crime rates and safety concerns : Analyze local crime rates to gauge potential threats to travelers. Identify safety concerns in the area and recommend appropriate precautions.
• Local laws and regulations: Understand relevant local laws and regulations. Ensure travelers are informed about cultural norms and legal requirements.
• Natural disasters : Identify the likelihood of natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, or floods. Provide information on evacuation plans and relevant emergency shelters.
• Terrorism threats : Evaluate the risk of terrorism in the destination. Note how to monitor travel advisories and security alerts related to potential terrorist activities.
• Cybersecurity concerns : Consider the cybersecurity landscape, especially if the trip involves the use of electronic devices and sensitive information. Provide guidelines for secure online practices to mitigate cybersecurity risks.
• Civil unrest and political instability : Assess the political situation in the destination. Monitor for potential civil unrest or political instability and provide guidance accordingly.

3. Transportation

Moving within a city or region can lead to complications, especially if unrest or poor infrastructure may lead to unexpected detours.

• Evaluation of transportation options : Assessing the reliability, safety, and suitability of available transportation modes. Considering factors such as public transportation, rental cars, or private transportation rather than Uber or Lyft .
• Road safety and transportation infrastructure : Evaluate the overall transportation infrastructure for its efficiency and potential risks.

4. Risk mitigation strategies

All the intelligence in the world won’t mean much if you don’t have a plan to address a hazard as it comes up. Risk mitigation strategies include:

• Emergency response plan : This plan should detail specific actions to be taken in various emergency scenarios, such as natural disasters, political unrest, or health crises. The plan will define roles and responsibilities for team members, communication channels, decision-making processes. For example, travelers should know exactly who to contact in case of an emergency that happens — whether outside of work hours or not — and know that their response provider will have the ability to support them in real-time.
• Evacuation procedures : Outline step-by-step evacuation procedures in case of serious threats or disasters, identifying primary and alternative evacuation routes. Designate assembly points and ensure all travelers are familiar with the evacuation plan.
• Emergency contacts : Compile a comprehensive list of emergency contacts, including local authorities, medical facilities, and organizational contacts. Ensure that all travelers have easy access to this list, both in physical and digital formats.

Feels like we should directly say, who are your travelers going to call when something happens, especially when it is outside of work hours. And does that response provider have the resources/ability to support your travelers in real-time

5. Documentation of tools and resources Used

Within your assessment, list the tools, resources, and technologies that contributed to the creation of the document. This includes government travel advisories and databases, health databases, communication platforms, local contacts and sources, and more.

Including this section gives transparency into the assessment creation process, making it easier for your team to reproduce the assessment for other locations (as well as update the current one), and facilitates continuous improvement.

How to prepare a travel risk assessment

For most organizations, the most effective way to prepare a travel risk assessment — for each traveler, for every trip — is to partner with a duty of care provider as part of a larger travel risk management strategy. A good duty of care provider has the time and resources to create these assessments; a great provider also has the capacity to actually respond to personnel in a time of need, no matter when crisis strikes. 

There are many steps providers take to effectively compile the above components into a robust assessment. Any good travel risk assessment includes, at a minimum, the following efforts:

Preliminary Research and Information Gathering

Providers begin by conducting thorough research on the destination and gathering relevant information. This includes political, economic, and cultural factors, as well as health and safety considerations. They utilize government travel advisories, local sources, and reputable databases to assess potential risks.

Within each assessment is a detailed profile of the destination, highlighting known threats and vulnerabilities. They will include information on transportation options, road safety, and infrastructure. During this time, the team stays updated on current events and emerging risks leading up to finalizing the assessment.

Structured Documentation and Collaboration

Travel risk management providers can then provide a structured document that organizes the gathered information into sections, such as those described above. They will regularly update the assessment based on evolving information and feedback from teams on the ground as well as travelers, creating a dynamic and responsive approach to travel risk management.

As the trip plays out, providers will have a system for continuous monitoring of factors that may impact travel safety, utilizing technology, local contacts, and government advisories to stay informed about changing conditions. They can also establish channels for travelers to provide real-time feedback on their experiences and any issues encountered. 

Response Capabilities

One of the most important elements included in travel risk assessments is information on who to contact in case of an emergency, 24 hours a day, wherever an employee is traveling. Considering the myriad of risks that plague travel in today's increasingly complex landscape, hoping that your people simply know who to call in any given situation is no longer a viable strategy.

Some duty of care providers can be that point of contact, and provide travelers with the support and resources they need to overcome any obstacle, from inclement weather to civil unrest to acts of terrorism. This is where the creation of a travel risk assessment meets, in effect, its execution.

Global Guardian is an example of such a provider: With our Duty of Care membership , your personnel will have direct access to Global Guardian’s 24/7 operations center, real-time intelligence reports, and support in the event of an emergency situation on the road (and at home).

A well-executed travel risk assessment is vital for ensuring the safety of individuals during work trips. By systematically evaluating health, security, safety, and transportation factors, organizations can identify and address potential risks. As the global landscape evolves, organizations must prioritize the well-being of their travelers through strategic planning and continuous improvement of risk management protocols, and travel risk assessments are part of the foundation of that effort.

StandinG By to Support

The Global G uardian team is standing by to support your travel security and safety requirements with a comprehensive suite of travel risk management solutions. To learn more about our duty of care services, complete the form below or call us at + 1 (703) 566-9463.

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Risk Assessment for School Trips

• Safety & Support

Available Resources

Please use the following links to access your resource.

• Safety Management System
• Generic Risk Assessments for School Educational Visits

If you’re planning a school trip abroad, you’ll definitely need to do a risk assessment. We can’t do it for you (unfortunately), but we can guide you through the process.

What is a risk assessment?

Why should you perform a travel risk assessment

Risk assessment form [free resource], download your free travel risk assessment now, when to do a travel risk assessment and when not to, repeat destinations, domestic travel, last minute travel.

See how to keep your travelers safe during business trips

What should a travel risk assessment include, the individual.

• Traveler health: Is the employee healthy enough to travel? Are there any health conditions or allergies to consider?
• Travel patterns: Are you thinking of booking a car rental after an overnight flight? Think about the travel itinerary and its effect on the employee.
• Traveler gender and other increased risk factors: Solo female travelers are more likely to be victims of crime than other traveler types, and LGBT travelers are at increased risk of violent assault, especially in certain parts of the world. It’s saddening that travel managers have to consider these factors, but the safety of the individual is paramount. Taking these factors into account for the given destination means you can arm the traveler with all the information they need to make good decisions, and allows businesses to plan accordingly.

The environment

• Transport type: Are there any travel restrictions or regulations to be aware of, or are there increased risks (e.g. traveling by car in a part of the country with poor quality roads)?
• Illness or disease: Is there a heightened risk of catching an infectious disease or an illness? Does the employee need a vaccination or medication prior to traveling?
• Natural disasters: Is there a chance of a natural disaster in that area, such as an earthquake or a hurricane?
• Crime rate: What are the crime rates at the destination? Advice should be provided to keep the employee safe.

How to implement the risk assessment

1. identify environmental threats, 2. consider the individuals’ risks, 3. evaluate the risks and decide on mitigation measures, 4. communication and training, 5. review and update when necessary, intro and link to travel risk assessment form.

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Transporting pupils: guidance and risk assessments, when transporting pupils, you'll need to be prepared for any possible risks. have a look at guidance on what to consider when it comes to staffing, risk assessments and first aid. plus, find examples of a risk assessment form and an off-site visits policy covering transport., staffing: what to consider.

• Complete a risk assessment
• Understand your first-aid requirements for transport
• Guidance on transporting individual children
• See an example of a policy covering pupil transport

Your school type will influence the level of regulation around staffing ratios. For more information, take a look at guidance on staffing ratios for trips and visits .

Maintained schools

Check if your local authority (LA) has requirements on the number of staff members required when transporting pupils.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) providers

Base the number of staff for your EYFS pupils on a risk assessment which you must complete before each outing (though this doesn't need to be in writing - this is for providers to judge). 

There should be at least as many adults to children as there would be in the classroom.

At least 1 member of staff with a current paediatric first aid (PFA) certificate must accompany children in the EYFS on any outing. This is set out in paragraph 3.25 of the  statutory framework for the EYFS .

All schools: do a risk assessment to determine staffing needs

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• Staffing ratios for trips and visits
• School trips: risk assessments

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• Extended services: staffing ratios
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• Infant class size limits: reception and KS1
• Staffing ratios: special schools

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The Relative Risks of School Travel: A National Perspective and Guidance for Local Community Risk Assessment -- Special Report 269 (2002)

Chapter: front matter.

Special Report 269

The Relative Risks of School Travel

A NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE AND GUIDANCE FOR LOCAL COMMUNITY RISK ASSESSMENT

Committee on School Transportation Safety

TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

Transportation Research Board

Washington, D.C.

www.TRB.org

Transportation Research Board Special Report 269

Subscriber Category

IV operations and safety

Transportation Research Board publications are available by ordering individual publications directly from the TRB Business Office, through the Internet at www.TRB.org , or by annual subscription through organizational or individual affiliation with TRB. Affiliates and library subscribers are eligible for substantial discounts. For further information, contact the

Transportation Research Board Business Office,

500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001 (telephone 202-334-3213; fax ; or e-mail [email protected] ).

Copyright 2002 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America.

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competencies and with regard for appropriate balance.

This report has been reviewed by a group other than the authors according to the procedures approved by a Report Review Committee consisting of members of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.

The study was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on School Transportation Safety.

The relative risks of school travel : a national perspective and guidance for local community risk assessment / Committee on School Transportation Safety.

p. cm.—(Special report)

ISBN 0-309-07703-6

1. School children—Transportation—United States. 2. Risk assessment—United States. I. Title. II. Special report (National Research Council (U.S.). Transportation Research Board)

LB2864 .N336 2002

371.8'72'0973—dc21

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. On the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. William A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, on its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both the Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts and Dr. William A. Wulf are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.

The Transportation Research Board is a division of the National Research Council, which serves the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering. The Board’s mission is to promote innovation and progress in transportation by stimulating and conducting research, facilitating the dissemination of information, and encouraging the implementation of research results. The Board’s varied activities annually engage more than 4,000 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest. The program is supported by state transportation departments, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation. www.TRB.org

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COMMITTEE ON SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY

H. Douglas Robertson, Chair,

Highway Safety Research Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Phyllis F. Agran,

Pediatric Injury Prevention Research Group, University of California, Irvine

Richard D. Blomberg,

Dunlap and Associates, Inc., Stamford, Connecticut

Ann M. Dellinger,

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia

Rodney G. Dobey,

St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minnesota

Ned B. Einstein,

Transportation Alternatives, New York

John S. Fabian,

Motor Carrier Accident Investigation Section, New York State Department of Transportation, Public Transportation Safety Board, Schenectady

James C. Fell,

Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, Calverton, Maryland

Ted Finlayson-Schueler,

Pupil Transportation Safety Institute, Syracuse, New York

Paul S. Fischbeck,

Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Lindsay I. Griffin III,

Texas Transportation Institute, College Station

Ronald J. Hundenski,

San Francisco Municipal Railway, San Francisco, California

Ronald L. Kinney,

Laidlaw Education Services, Sacramento, California

Jeffrey C. Tsai,

North Carolina State University, Raleigh

Transportation Research Board Staff

Beverly M. Huey, Senior Program Officer,

S chool transportation safety issues have been of concern for many years. Interest in these issues has recently been heightened by congressional testimony, as well as by reports and recommendations issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and others. Hearings held in the U.S. Senate in 1996 on school transportation safety, for example, raised the question of what is known about the safety of children who use public transit to travel to and from school. It was noted at the time that more than 20 percent of school children in California were using public transportation to travel to school, and that in other areas, such as Ohio, the use of public transit for school transportation was increasing. During the hearings, the focus of interest was broadened beyond school versus transit buses to include the various other modes used to transport students, and was expanded to include school-related trips in addition to trips to and from home and school.

The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century mandated that the Secretary of Transportation commission the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Research Council (NRC) to examine available crash injury data, along with vehicle design and driver training requirements and routing, operational, and other relevant factors, to study “the safety issues attendant to the transportation of school children to and from school and school-related activities by various transportation modes.” If the data were deemed unavailable or insufficient, a new data collection regimen and implementation guidelines were to be recommended. (A copy of the relevant legislation is provided in the appendix.) The purpose of this report is to fulfill this mandate by assessing the relative risks of each major mode used for school travel and to provide insights into the potential effects on safety of changes in the distribution of school trips by mode.

To conduct this study, NRC convened a 14-member committee with appropriate scientific and technical expertise in highway safety, data analysis, safety statistics, risk perception and communication, policy analysis, pediatrics, public health and exposure estimation, integration of transportation services, school bus operations, transit operations, driver training, and pedestrian/bicycling safety (see the study committee biographical information at the end of this report). Reflecting the origins of the study request, the study approach was as comprehensive as possible, encompassing all practical modes of school travel.

In addressing the safety issues associated with the travel of school-age children to and from school and school-related activities by various modes, the committee interpreted its charge to include the following:

A review of available data and information on injuries, fatalities, exposure, operational factors, vehicle design, operator training, and other factors relevant to school travel;

Consideration of the basic characteristics of the modes used by students, the operational differences among the modes, and any relevant infrastructure or environmental conditions;

Assessment of issues relevant to determining the risk associated with each mode in the context of both occupant and pedestrian injuries and fatalities, with consideration of the behavioral and developmental characteristics of children;

Assessment of the efficacy of drawing conclusions from the available data, based on the statistical confidence in the data and the relevancy of the data to the issues being reviewed; and

Evaluation of the availability and adequacy of the salient data, and recommendation of new data collection and implementation guidelines if applicable.

Upon undertaking the study, the committee examined the available databases and identified only three that could be used to examine the relative risk of the various school travel modes. Analysis of these data revealed some very clear differences in travel risks across the modes. Because of data limitations, however, only comparisons at the national level were possible; the data did not provide the detail needed to help specific school districts assess their risks.

The complexity and sensitivity of the issues involved, coupled with the sparseness of comparable data, presented challenges to the committee. Nonetheless, the committee endeavored to consolidate all the existing information on the issues of interest, document what is currently known, analyze the available data (both qualitative and quantitative) to the extent possible, and produce findings and recommendations that would have practical application to decision making with regard to the safety of school travel. In addition, to help communities identify steps that could be taken to reduce the risks particular to their school transportation systems, the committee created checklists of risk mitigation options based on a review of the relevant research literature and accepted best practices. The committee recognizes that those responsible for making school transportation decisions must consider many factors aside from safety, but believes that these checklists, used in conjunction with the national-level statistical risk analysis, provide a framework with which communities can undertake a systematic evaluation of school travel alternatives.

The committee as a whole met five times between July 2000 and July 2001, and subgroups met periodically throughout that period. The early meetings included extensive presentations in sessions open to the public, during which experts from government, academia, advocacy organizations, and industry presented a variety of issues and views to the committee. This final report provides a synthesis of the information gathered by the committee, which encompassed the data, analytical tools, and methods currently available for the development of a risk management framework for assessing the relative safety of the various modes used for school travel.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

During the course of this study, the committee and staff received numerous briefings and presentations, consulted with experts, and requested detailed data analyses. The committee wishes to thank the many individuals who contributed their time and effort to this project. In particular, the committee wishes to thank Patricia Hu and Timothy Reusch of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, who analyzed data from the Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey; Anders Longthorne of the National Center for Statistics and Analysis at NHTSA, who performed analyses of data from the General Estimates System; and Betsy Benkowski [formerly of NHTSA, now with the Truck and Bus Crash Information Center, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)], Judy Hilton (NHTSA), and Lindsay Griffin III (Texas Transportation Institute), who conducted analyses of data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System; and Clarence Cheung of Carnegie Mellon University, who provided support to Paul Fischbeck for the risk analyses.

We are also indebted to Lidia Kostyniuk and Hans Joksch of the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, who provided briefings on the Data Collection Effort for Pupil Safety on Transit Bus Systems project. Appreciation is expressed as well to the many individuals and organizational representatives who provided information, including Robert Bambino, Director of Risk Management, New York Schools Insurance Reciprocal; Tamara Broyhill, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA); Andrew Clarke, Chair, TRB Technical Activities Committee on Bicycling; Rob Foss, Highway Safety Research Center; Charles Gauthier, National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services; Phil Hanley, Commercial Passenger Safety Division, FMCSA; Charlie Hott, NHTSA; Ken House, staffer for the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure; Greg Hull, American Public Transportation Association; William Hunter, Highway Safety Research Center; Terry Klein, Bureau of Transportation Statistics; Robin Leeds, National School Transportation Association; Susan Liss, FHWA; Iyon Lyles, Federal Transit Administration; Mike Martin, National Association of Pupil Transportation; Nancy McGuckin, FHWA; Angela Mickalide, The National SAFE KIDS Campaign; Bill Paul, School Transportation News; Joe Osterman, NTSB; Jeanmarie Poole, NTSB; Bill Wilkinson, National Center for Bicycling and Walking; and Chris Zeilinger, Community Transportation Association of America. Thanks are due in particular to the liaison representatives from NHTSA—Eleanor Hunter, Maria Vegega, and Diane Wigle—who responded promptly and with a generous spirit to the committee’s many requests for information.

The study was performed under the overall supervision of Stephen R. Godwin, TRB’s Director of Studies and Information Services. The committee gratefully acknowledges the work and support of Beverly Huey, who served as project director and drafted many sections of the report; Paul Fischbeck, who conducted the risk analyses and drafted other sections of the report; and Suzanne Schneider, Associate Executive Director of TRB, who managed the review process. The report was edited by Rona Briere and prepared for publication under the supervision of Nancy A. Ackerman, Director of Reports and Editorial Services.

The report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by NRC’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making the published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process.

The committee thanks the following individuals for their review of this report: Dan Burden, Walkable Communities, Inc., High Springs, Florida; James H. Hedlund, Highway Safety North, Ithaca, New York; Karl E. Kim, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii; William Mallett, Battelle Memorial Institute, Washington, D.C.; Michael Malloy, Cleveland Municipal School District, Cleveland, Ohio; Penny Page, Yellow Transportation, Baltimore, Maryland; and Frederick P. Rivara, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington. Although these reviewers provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the findings and conclusions, nor did they see the final draft before its release.

The review of this report was overseen by L. G. (Gary) Byrd, Consulting Engineer, Mill Spring, North Carolina, and Lester A. Hoel, University of Virginia, Charlottesville. Appointed by NRC, they were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.

H. Douglas Robertson, Chair

TRB Special Report 269 - The Relative Risks of School Travel: A National Perspective and Guidance for Local Community Risk Assessment presents a method to estimate, on a per-mile and per-trip basis, the relative risks that students face in traveling to and from school by walking, bicycling, riding in passenger vehicles with adult drivers, riding in passenger vehicles with teenage drivers, or taking a bus.� These estimated risk measures can assist localities in developing policies to improve the safety of students traveling to school and in evaluating policies that affect mode choices by students and their parents.� The report also includes checklists of actions to reduce the risks associated with each mode of school travel.

Children in the United States travel to and from school and school-related activities by a variety of modes. Because parents and their school-age children have a limited understanding of the risks associated with each mode, it is unlikely that these risks greatly influence their school travel choices. Public perceptions of school transportation safety are heavily influenced by school bus (i.e., "yellow bus") services.

When children are killed or injured in crashes involving school buses, the link to school transportation appears obvious; when children are killed or injured in crashes that occur when they are traveling to or from school or school-related activities by other modes, however, the purpose of the trip is often not known or recorded, and the risks are not coded in a school-related category. Despite such limitations and the fact that estimates of the risks across school travel modes are confounded by inconsistent and incomplete data, sufficient information is available to make gross comparisons of the relative risks among modes used for school travel and to provide guidance for risk management.

Each year approximately 800 school-aged children are killed in motor vehicle crashes during normal school travel hours. This figure represents about 14 percent of the 5,600 child deaths that occur annually on U.S. roadways and 2 percent of the nation’s yearly total of 40,000 motor vehicle deaths. Of these 800 deaths, about 20 (2 percent)—5 school bus passengers and 15 pedestrians—are school bus–related. The other 98 percent of school-aged deaths occur in passenger vehicles or to pedestrians, bicyclists, or motorcyclists. A disproportionate share of these passenger vehicle–related deaths (approximately 450 of the 800 deaths, or 55 percent) occur when a teenager is driving.

At the same time, approximately 152,000 school-age children are nonfatally injured during normal school travel hours each year. More than 80 percent (about 130,000) of these nonfatal injuries occur in passenger vehicles; only 4 percent (about 6,000) are school bus–related (about 5,500 school bus passengers and 500 school bus pedestrians), 11 percent (about 16,500) occur to pedestrians and bicyclists, and fewer than 1 percent (500) are to passengers in other buses.

When school travel modes are compared, the distribution of injuries and fatalities is found to be quite different from that of trips and miles traveled. Three modes (school buses, other buses, and passenger vehicles with adult drivers) have injury estimates and fatality counts below those expected on the basis of the exposure to risk implied by the number of trips taken or student-miles traveled. For example, school buses represent 25 percent of the miles traveled by students but account for less than 4 percent of the injuries and 2 percent of the fatalities. Conversely, the other three modal classifications (passenger vehicles with teen drivers, bicycling, and walking) have estimated injury rates and fatality counts disproportionately greater than expected on the basis of exposure data. For example, passenger vehicles with teen drivers account for more than half of the injuries and fatalities, a much greater proportion than the 14–16 percent that would be expected on the basis of student-miles and trips.

Special Report 269 Summary

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