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Here's an email from "Brissylady" (Annette), who emailed me via an MSN parents chat room, on the 12th March 2004:-

Hi Kim

Good luck with your battle! I took this to our school several years ago and was told that to hire a bus with seatbelts would make an excursion too expensive for people. The average cost of an excursion for a bus with seatbelts would put approximately an extra $5 per child onto the excursion cost. Well worth it I thought.

Unfortunately the school did not agree with me and I ended up fighting a losing battle - and would you believe that hardly any of the other parents at the school would support me!!! It really makes you wonder where their priorities lie.

I personally would much rather fork out the extra $5 or whatever cost to have my child restrained in a seatbelt on a bus than have to fork out $5,000 plus to pay for their funeral and then go through the rest of your life without your precious child. I don't know how the Government cannot have seatbelts in all buses - they say it's too expensive but you cannot put a price on a life. I bet it would be a different story if it was one of their kids involved in a bus accident!

If we don't buckle our kids up in the car we are fined and told it is a form of child abuse - and I totally agree with that - but it doesn't seem to matter if they get thrown around or killed in a bus accident.

If there is anything I can do to help you with your battle then don't hesitate to contact me. Bye4now Annette

This email was received on Monday 1st March 2004, from Karen H, of Hawthorne (Brisbane), Qld. I asked her to forward any reply she got from Peter Beattie (to the email she sent him on the 17th Feb 2004). Here's Karen's comments - and Peter Beattie's reply:-

Thanks for the update. I have had a reply to my email from the Office of the Premier, but, as you may guess, it is as good as useless. It is so short I can reproduce it here for you:-

Thank you for your email of 16 February 2004 supporting the introductionof seat belts on school buses. I have been requested to reply to you on the Premier’s behalf.

As the matter you have raised falls within the responsibilities of the Honourable Paul Lucas MP, Minister for Transport and Main Roads, I have taken the liberty of forwarding a copy of your email to him for his considerationand reply direct to you.

Well, that was exciting for you, I’m sure! I will write to Paul Lucas and catch up on your web pages tomorrow and let you know how I go.

(Note from Kim Bax - Pat Purcell (ALP - Bulimba), is Karen's local State member. Click HERE to get the low-down on his performance).

This email was received on Tuesday 17th February 2004, from Karen H, of Hawthorne (Brisbane), Qld. It's a copy of an email she sent Peter Beattie. I've asked her to forward any reply she gets from him:- TOP

I am writing to support the work by Kim Bax who is tirelessly raising the profile of this issue. I have read the details of her web page, including correspondence between her and yourself. I eagerly await your latest reply!!

I STRONGLY support this campaign and urge you to IMPLEMENT the recommendations of the 2001 "Queensland School Transport Safety Task Force" in the 2004/2007 Parliamentary term, IN PARTICULAR the installation of seatbelts on school buses. I feel certain that this would have a huge positive impact on your chances of re-election at the end of the term, and, of course, would save Queensland children from serious injury and death.

This email was received on Friday 12th February 2004, from a Queensland mum (Roma), who is also an ex-bus driver:-

Approx. 2 years ago I drove the local school bus in our area for a small country school. In this particular case the bus being a Toyota Coaster 24 - 25 seater, fortunately came with seat belts. It had been raining the day before and I rang all the Mums whose children I had to pick up down this particular road which was not bitumen and they gave me the OK that the road is safe and not slippery enough to warrant a day off school due to possible hazardous road conditions. So I set off in confidence that all was well and I only had 2 more kids to pick up. I drove at a slow pace only 40 kms/hr as I was aware this strip of road ahead of me could be slippery due to rain and its winding decent. Sure enough as I reached the top of the hill and started driving down the other side the back end of the bus started sliding which meant I had no control of the front wheels, as I braked the bus started to slide, we then braced ourselves and hit the bank. The impact was enough to cause all 15 passengers including myself to jolt forward saved by the belts. Without seatbelts everybody would have fallen from the seats sustained bruises and such injuries, crying, shock etc. The only thing that was hurt was the bus. The bull bar, front guard and radiator was dented and pushed in. Being in a farming area, the locals used a tractor to pull the bus out, put it back on the road and up the hill. We all proceeded to transport the children and teachers safety to school. Now that's a happy ending thanks to seatbelts. Consequently the mainroads have bitumen all dips and creeks on that bus run to prevent any more potential accidents on wet days.

This email was received on Monday 9th February 2004, from a Queensland school. It raises some good points - and asks some good questions:-

"One thing that to me would also greatly improve safety on school buses, which we raised with the “Safety task Force” through our P&C, and which seems to have been ignored, is reintroducing the concept of a “Conductor” type position on each school bus. It is impossible for a Bus driver to supervise and intervene when necessary when issues erupt amongst students on a bus – and to me, the potential for distraction of the driver is very high, and dangerous.

This also would cost money – but I wonder if installing seat belts as the only strategy will work. Who will ensure they are being worn, for example?

I do share your concern – we have had scuffles and incidents on our buses that could have ended badly – an adult in a position of authority on the bus would have stopped such incidents very quickly."

Reply from Kim Bax:- I agree, a "conductor" type person would be an excellent idea - and one I'd push wholeheartedly (as every mum and dad would). If anyone wants to "bat" for it I'd support them every inch of the way - but struggling just to get this Government to put seatbelts on school buses has been a MAMMOTH experience. At one point, the Transport Minister (Steve Bredhauer), banned me from speaking to the entire Queensland Transport Department because (as he said in the message he left on my friend's mobile phone) - he didn't like the radio interview I'd just done on 4BC. And just this morning (9th February 2004), I rang the Minister's office to try to find out WHO is on the "Inter-Departmental Working Group" currently looking at the issue (they're due to report in April 2004). NO-ONE in the Minister's office would even take my call - or even offer to call me back later, with this very simple, straight forward information (at least, I thought it was). I was told to "put my request in writing." I said that I had, to Peter Beattie, but it didn't cut any ice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Not to be beaten, I rang the Office of the Opposition - who said they'd get back to me to-day . . . . . . . . . In other words, you get round it one way or another - it's just an uphill fight. Anyway THIS link might be of some help. It's to an American report (New York State, 1994), that looks at student behaviour (and driver distraction), in relation to seatbelts on school buses. All the best Kim.

From Elly (sent the 6th of February 2004). She's the editor of the "Mary Valley Voice & Round the Ridges," based in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland:-

"I have read the ALP response – and it is rather slack to say the least. What, more trials?? I have a 1969 HR Holden, when I registered it I put six seatbelts in it for my kids and their friends. Yet they can carry 50+ with no restraint at all. When my babies were born, the nursing staff wouldn’t let them out of the hospital if I didn’t have a suitable restraining device. Doesn’t make much sense to me."

Just had a decent look at your website for the first time. It is very eye opening. I have publicised your letter/ community notice in two papers and will put one of the Law Society notices in this edition I am working on at the moment. I am running the website community notice regularly until you tell me not to.

I have three kids (boys: 5, 11, 13) all catching the bus to schools in the nearest town (20km away – but a 40 minute drive by the time they pick everyone up and go the long way). We have very narrow, winding (often gravel) roads with cliffs on one side and forested, very steep drop offs on the other in places. It worries me every time they go on the bus. When the subject of seatbelts is brought up with our bus company owner (we have annual meetings at the local hall), cost is always brought up as the main reason they have not been fitted.