AIBU to worry about my son’s school coach trip in heavy rain?

[HangingHeather]

My DS is going on a school trip tomorrow on a coach. It’s due to be heavy rain all day, potentially thundestorms.
They will be going on the motorway.
AIBU to be worried about a potential accident? As the weather conditions will be treacherous. It’s quite a large coach they go on, but I’m still concerned.

Is there a weather warning?

No I don’t believe so , just forecast heavy rain.

You are obviously BU. If everything stopped every time it rained in this country no one would ever do anything.

I get that. But I always think the motorways are treacherous in heavy rain.

Are coaches safer for travel ?

He’ll be fine. Thunder storms won’t make any difference to the motorway (apart from making the journey more exciting).

I spend most of my weekends driving around the country taking kids to sports events and if we avoided the motorway every time there was heavy rain we wouldn’t go anywhere in the UK. I’m sure the coach driver has driven in rain before and knows what he/ she is doing. They will do it regularly enough.

Busses are safe vehicles, they’re big and sturdy. You only hear about coach crashes in the news because a bad coach crash is so rare.

You can be concerned but, unless there is a Severe Weather Warning advising not to travel, you would be unreasonable to take him out of the trip or let him know of your anxiety. Coach drivers have received more stringent driving training than most other drivers.

Yeah YABU.
Life is full of risks. He's as likely to have an accident on the way to catch the bus as he is when on the bus. Heck he could stay at home to avoid the trip, and then fall down the stairs.
Put it out of your mind.

This. Far safer in a coach than in a car.

I worry about this sort of thing too. You’re not unreasonable to be worried of course, but you obviously would be if you didn’t let him go. You know the chances of an accident are low, but it won’t stop you worrying.

Maybe focus on the billions of vehicles that drive on the motorway in heavy rain all year round and never have so much as a sniff of an accident.

the coach driver will be experienced

Do not let your anxiety compromise your DC’s opportunities.

This would not cross most people’s minds.

If you need to talk yourself down consider that coach drivers have had to pass a professional drivers test, are subject to lower speed limits anyway, and cannot go in the third lane.

Motorways are not ‘treacherous’ in rain, driving on them (and everywhere else) just requires appropriate mitigation.

You obviously don't live in Lancashire, most of my journeys from October to March were done in heavy rain.

Don't spoil your son's day because of your worries.

I’m sure the coach driver knows how to drive in rain , he’ll be fine.
Please don’t pass this kind of anxiety on to your child, my mother was like this and I believe it did hold me back at times and I have worked hard as an adult to “break the cycle”

Of course you know you are being a bit dramatic about this - this country is built on rain - if we stopped whenever it was a bit wet out we'd never go anywhere.

Do you struggle with anxiety in general though? If so, it's worth looking for some support with it before it affects your child(ren).

I worry about my kids all the time when they are not with me, but school trips and bus journeys are part of school life and usually very exciting, for younger children anyway. It wouldn't be fair to deprive them of the experience just because of this. Just worry silently!

I will still allow him to go. But I’m just anxious about the possibility of an accident in the rain that’s all.
I know I’ll feel anxious all day until they are back safely.

Where are they visiting, is it still going ahead.

Motorways still operate during rain. It rains often.

@MissMoneyFairy
yes it’s still going ahead as it’s a trip to the seaside, it’ll be a total wash out but the school have paid for coaches.

To hopefully help you get your worries into perspective: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-annual-report-2024/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-annual-report-2024
reports there were 4.6 casualties per billion miles travelled on uk roads in 2024. It will have been raining for much of 2024, sometimes heavily.

I'm sure the coach driver will adjust their driving for the conditions. If it's severe enough for a weather warning I imagine the trip will not go ahead. I hope you can feel less anxious about it.

The seaside in the rain is exhilarating, they’ll have a great time. I sympathise with the anxiety, but it is irrational. They will be driven by someone who does it for a living, on roads with thousands and thousands of other drivers who aren’t worried. The odds of an accident are tiny.

I think it's normal to worry when it's your own dc. Dd used to get the coach back and forth to uni and I did worry if it was heavy rain but the coach drivers are used to it and National Express seem to still run no matter the weather. People who choose driving as a career are probably more skilled and confident at it than most.

Oh bless you. The chances of an accident in a coach are vanishingly small - much safer than a car. And the rain is usually half of the amount forecast. It doesn't stop you worrying though. (When ds went on his first trip to the zoo, when he was 5, I actually followed the coach in my car for a few miles to make sure the coach driver was a good driver!!! )

Find things to do tomorrow (including MNetting) so that you don't sit worrying all day. And look forward to welcoming him home with his favourite meal, and hearing all about his adventures.

Coaches have mini MOT inspections every 6 weeks so they are probably more roadworthy than cars. Just tell him he has to wear his seat belt. Teachers etc may well check this