AN ACTION group set up by a former Usk woman to safeguard children using school transport is behind a campaign to reduce driver tiredness on gruelling continental school trips.

Pat Harris, director of BUSK, is throwing the group’s weight behind the Nightcap initiative aimed at protecting the interests of overworked coach drivers.

A European Commission report has linked nearly one in three coach crashes to driver fatigue, with most accidents happening on overnight trips and on motorways.

She said on Tuesday, ahead of School Transport Safety Week which starts on Monday, “Where else would we expect an employee to work for more than 24 hours without a break, especially when that employee is responsible for children’s lives?”

Research has suggested sleep-deprived drivers pose more hazards even than drink drivers.

“Our concern at how some tour companies are booking coach drivers into inappropriate accommodation on school trips, resulting in their disturbed sleep, is now shared by at least one local authority which has recently changed how its schools book trips,” she revealed.

She explained, “The authority has started to refuse to sign a trip off if a tour company is used which will not book drivers into single rooms in a quiet area of the hotel.”

She reckoned drivers who have their sleep constantly disturbed are not as alert behind the wheel as they need to be - even though their Drivers’ Hours Regulations have not been breached.

“We have also discovered that drivers are expected to sleep in tents and share shower and toilet blocks with guests - or pupils under the age of 18 years.

“This is common on some activity holidays schools book up with. We are certain parents are unaware of how their child’s safety is compromised - not just from the dangers of driver fatigue but also from safeguarding issues that compromise both pupils and drivers,” she stressed.

Only this year a coach driver was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter when he admitted to falling asleep on the return journey from France to the UK with a school party.

A teacher died in the crash and many pupils sustained serous injuries.

“BUSK is in receipt of written confirmation from the UK government that a tour company is legally obliged to book coach drivers into accommodation that allows them to sleep properly. But many ignore this requirement to cut costs - and this puts everyone at risk,” she suggested.

BUSK’s Nightcap campaign, launched in February 2014, is supported by more than 1,000 coach drivers.

“They all echo the same message…that they are struggling to stay alert on the long haul 21-hour drive back to the UK from the school trips abroad,” said Pat.