Traffic accident information – summary from the parents' meeting on April 13th

On Monday, April 13th, an information meeting was held regarding a traffic accident that occurred on March 17th. The information meeting was held at Urriðaholt School, and parents and guardians of the children who were on the bus when the accident occurred were invited to the meeting.

Representatives from Urriðaholt School, the Gardabær Education and Leisure Department, the group tour company Trex, and the police reviewed the issue at the meeting and answered questions from those present.

Attached is a summary of the meeting.

Þorgerður Anna Arnardóttir, principal of Urriðaholt School, opened the meeting and welcomed those present.

Linda Udengård, Director of Education and Leisure, reviewed slides on the incident, the school's response to the incident and its aftermath, Trex's response and procedures, and next steps. The items that were handled well and those that could have been done better were also reviewed.

Þorgerður Anna spoke on a slide discussing the incident and added that the students had the choice of going into the pool or not when they arrived at Álftaneslaug. It was not a traditional swimming lesson.

Question from a parent group: When was the Trex duty manager contacted? Answer: Between 10:44 and 10:59.

Linda's addition to the slide about reactions after March 17th: Linda briefly discussed the conversations with parents that led to the decision not to hold an information meeting. This was a mistake on the part of Gardabær, and the conclusion was that it would have been best to hold a parent meeting immediately.

Einar Þór Guðjónsson, Trex's CEO, reviewed Trex's procedures that were in effect on March 17th, as well as the revised procedures. He reported that the driver assessed that no one was injured in the collision.

Einar discussed the reaction that occurs when a collision occurs. Part of that is getting passengers to a safe place and then disconnecting the electricity in the vehicle. Then the obvious choice was to send students to Álftaneslaug, where students are safer there than on a busy street.

Tip from a parent group: It is important to check the condition of the students by having a conversation and asking everyone in the group about their well-being and condition. The conclusion drawn at the meeting was that the students may have been in shock after the collision and that there had been some misunderstanding as a result, as the driver believed he had confirmed with all passengers that no one had been injured.

Linda discussed the issues that could have been handled better. For example, it was discussed that there should have been no delay in calling a parent meeting. Edda Björg Sigðurðardóttir, elementary and music school representative, spoke and pointed out that it was assessed that it was necessary to first compile all information and get a clear picture of the incident and then call the parent group together. In the future, incidents like this will be handled with a meeting as soon as possible and a follow-up meeting after more detailed information is available, if necessary.

The meeting also reviewed what had been done well. Finally, the work that had already taken place and the next steps were discussed.

Þorgerður briefly discussed the changed arrangements for school swimming, but in the 2026/2027 school year, swimming lessons will take place in the new sports facilities at Urriðaholtsskóli.

Open for questions and discussions

- Asked whether a summary of the meeting would be made available. The answer was yes.

- Speculation from a parent group: Whether the seat belts on the bus were safe. The conclusion of the police investigation is that the seat belts are three-point and meet safety requirements.

Thorgerd Anna's tip: It is important to emphasize to children that seat belts must be fastened while the bus is in motion and must lie properly across the body. Einar agrees and says that drivers need to be reminded of these points regularly.

- Question from the audience, directed to Trex: Does Trex have ISO 45001 certification? The answer is yes.

Einar then goes on to discuss the misunderstanding that occurred between the driver and the Trex shift manager. When the shift manager asks the driver if the school has been notified of the incident, he answers in the affirmative, as he had spoken to the swimming instructor and believed that the swimming instructor would pass the information on to the school office. Þorgerður Anna adds that the school's procedures have been tightened to prevent misunderstandings of this kind.

- Addition from police representatives who attended the meeting: Emphasize that the bus has been inspected, that no comments have been made, and that all safety requirements have been met.

A police investigation revealed that the report received from the driver of the passenger car did not state anywhere that it was a school bus and did not mention underage passengers. If that had been stated, the case would have been handled differently. Police learned that it was a bus with school children later that day, after a conversation with Urriðaholt School, and an investigation began.

• Police take statements from the parties involved, obtain information about everyone on the bus, inspect both vehicles, and contact the parents of the students who were injured.

At the meeting it was stated that Trex has now requested a police report and that it is being reviewed by the police. The case is still open and under investigation by the police. The police are calling for medical certificates from the children who underwent further examination. Linda adds that Garðabær can act as an intermediary to protect their rights against the insurance company of the person responsible, i.e. the driver of the passenger car.

- Question from the audience: Is it possible to get a copy of the Trex procedure, before and after? The answer is yes. (See slides with the procedure above)

Linda finally adds that suggestions and questions regarding the matter can still be made and thanks for a good meeting.