A school trip turned into a frightening ordeal when a tour bus carrying young children and teachers crashed into a roadside sign and a tree in Selangor. The cause? The bus driver allegedly dozed off while driving.
The incident occurred at around 12:18pm within the Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) vicinity in Serdang. The bus was ferrying 30 children and five teachers from an Islamic kindergarten (PASTI) who had just visited the Beryl’s Chocolate Factory. They were en route to G2G Animal Garden at the MAEPS exhibition centre when the crash took place.
According to Serdang district police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohamad Farid, initial investigations confirmed that the 44-year-old driver had insufficient rest prior to the journey. Although tests showed no traces of alcohol or drugs in his system, he reportedly fell asleep while driving, causing the vehicle to veer off course and slam into a road sign before crashing into a tree.
Teacher Injured, Children Scraped in Impact
The impact left one female teacher with a head wound that required stitches, while three young children sustained minor abrasions. The bus’s front section suffered extensive damage, indicating the force of the collision. Emergency services were deployed promptly, and the injured were rushed to hospital for treatment.
Authorities arrested the driver at the scene. Further checks revealed he had accumulated 13 unpaid traffic summonses. He is now under a two-day police remand as investigations continue under Section 42 of the Road Transport Act 1987 for reckless and dangerous driving.
Public Questions Safety Measures for School Excursions
This incident has sparked renewed concern among parents and educators about safety protocols during school outings, especially when involving long road travel. Many are calling for stricter vetting of drivers, mandatory rest hours, and tighter monitoring of traffic violations to prevent future tragedies.
The use of public transport or third-party chartered vehicles for school events remains common in Malaysia, but lapses in driver fitness — whether due to fatigue or past violations — pose serious risks to student safety.
With Malaysia’s road accident rates still high, this case is a timely reminder of the importance of professional accountability in public transportation. Authorities have pledged to review and tighten regulations governing drivers of school-bound vehicles to ensure such avoidable accidents do not repeat.
As for the children involved, school officials have arranged counselling and aftercare to support their emotional recovery following the traumatic event.