[October 20, 2008]

First Group: 25 Million Reasons Why First Student Urges Motorists to Avoid Using Cell Phones When Driving

Oct 20, 2008 (M2 PRESSWIRE via COMTEX) --
CINCINNATI- There are more than 25 million reasons why motorists shouldn't talk on cell phones while driving-but the most important reasons are to ensure the safety of each and every one of the 25 million children who ride a school bus to and from school every day. To kick off National School Bus Safety Week, First Student, Inc., a subsidiary of FirstGroup America and the nation's largest provider of student transportation, is urging motorists to be safe by avoiding cell phone usage while driving.

"Distracted driving, particularly due to the use of cell phones, is one of the major causes of traffic collisions and traffic related injuries and deaths," says Gary Catapano, senior vice president of safety for First Student. The National Safety Council says that people who drive while talking on a cell phone are four times more likely to be involved in a collision than drivers who aren't using cell phones. Research also shows that using any type of mobile phone, including hands free devices, while driving slows reaction time. According to separate studies from the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis and the University of Utah, cell phone distraction causes as many as 2,600 deaths and 330,000 injuries in the U.S. each year.

These are just some of the reasons why FirstGroup America and its parent company FirstGroup plc have always banned cell phone use for its bus drivers and now prohibits use by all employees while operating a vehicle as part of the company's Injury Prevention Program. FirstGroup America was recently named the 2009 recipient of the National Safety Council's Green Cross for Safety Medal in recognition of its strong safety culture, outstanding safety record and commitment to its core values of safety and customer service.

School buses are designed for safety inside and out. In fact, riding a bus is the safest way for children to get to and from school, as much as 13 times safer than other modes of transportation, even safer than the family car. "Our nation's yellow school buses are highly visible and are required to use flashing lights and extended stop arms to warn motorists when children are loading and unloading. But if motorists are distracted by talking on cell phones, they may fail to see or react quickly enough to a slowed or stopped school bus in front of them," adds Catapano. The tragic Marion County, Fla., collision last month involving a school bus struck by a truck driver on his cell phone demonstrates just how dangerous cell phone usage can be. "Each year we experience accidents caused from motorists using their cell phones. Thankfully most result in few or minor injuries to students and drivers on our buses. We hope everyone heeds our safety message and avoids using cell phones while driving," concludes Catapano.

National School Bus Safety Week begins October 20 and takes place every year during the third week of October. This year's theme is "Stop on Red, Kids Ahead."

First Student, Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of FirstGroup America, is the largest provider of school bus transportation in North America. First Student safely transports more than 3 million students with a fleet of 49,000 yellow school buses in the U.S. In Canada, First Student operates 11,000 buses and transports 700,000 children to and from school each day. First Student is dedicated to providing the safest and most efficient student transportation service in North America.

CONTACT: Kimberly Mulcahy, First Student, Inc
Tel: +1 513 362 4600
WWW: http://www.firststudentinc.com
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