Automóvil Club de Chile and Buses Vule Launch New School Road Safety Initiative in Lo Espejo and Puente Alto

Building on efforts to prevent road crashes in school zones throughout Chile, Automóvil Club de Chile , in partnership with Buses Vule S.A. , has inaugurated a new school zone safety initiative in Lo Espejo and Puente Alto in 2024.

This project is part of an ongoing plan to expand Star Rating for Schools (SR4S) assessments to create safer road environments for students nationwide.

María Ignacia González, Executive Director of the Automóvil Club, highlighted the significance of this initiative: “This public-private partnership delivers tangible road safety solutions to schools and their surrounding communities, ensuring safe mobility for everyone, especially school children. It’s the first time a private company has participated in a school project using the international school assessment tool – SR4S in Chile, marking a significant milestone in child road safety.”

With the technical support of Conaset, Comisión Nacional de Seguridad de Tránsito , the Colegio San Lucas in Lo Espejo and the Colegio Senda del Saber in Puente Alto were chosen for interventions. These schools are located near the terminals operated by the public transport company Buses Vule in Santiago.

In the first half of 2024, safety measures implemented around Colegio San Lucas in Lo Espejo significantly improved the school’s road environment from 1.9 star to a 4.6 star. ?Improvements included the installation of new signage and road markings, flashing beacons, marked pedestrian crossings with refuges, speed calming measures, and the reduction of the speed limit from 50 km/h to 30 km/h. Additionally, students at Colegio San Lucas participated in educational workshops where they learned about the road upgrades around their school and gained knowledge of road safety rules. These sessions were both educational and enjoyable, aiming to foster responsible and aware behaviour among future road users.

Image credit: Automóvil Club de Chile

Image credit: Automóvil Club de Chile

Local news articles covering this project:

• Crece en la Región Metropolitana el programa que mejora la seguridad en los entornos de colegios – La Tercera
• Buses Vule y Automóvil Club mejoran entornos escolares para prevenir accidentes ( lavozdemaipu.cl )
• Iniciativa pública – privada: Se expande por la Región Metropolitana el programa mundial que mejora los entornos de los colegios para evitar siniestros viales – AdPrensa – agenda de prensa

Learn more about other schools that have been made safer through the efforts of Automóvil Club de Chile and its partners:

• https://starratingforschools.org/2023/12/another-school-environment-made-safer-in-chile/
• https://starratingforschools.org/2023/10/automovil-club-de-chile-launch-school-environment-improvements-puente-alto-chile/
• https://starratingforschools.org/2023/09/a-global-road-safety-program-that-seeks-to-protect-children-in-their-school-environments-arrives-in-chile/

Read full article here on the SR4S website