Why NO Seatbelts on School Buses??

  • walleyebuster5
    Central MN
    Posts: 3916
    February 16, 2012 at 3:43 pm #1275832

    One of our buses got hit by a car yesterday morning, thankfully nobody was hurt but it got me thinking on the seatbelt thing again. I did a little research and found this piece below. Figure it would be for some interesting discussion.

    The short answers to why seat belts are not mandated on school buses are safety issues, economics, and liability.

    The National Highway Transportation Administration (NHTSA), one of the most influential government agencies when it comes to public safety on roadways, has stated that current school buses are among the safest forms of transportation available. After studying the results of crashes involving school buses, the NHTSA stated that there was no compelling reason to believe the use of seat belts on school buses should be federally mandated. Most accidents involving school buses were either frontal or rear collisions, which means that passengers were protected by a safety feature called compartmentalization.

    walleyebuster5
    Central MN
    Posts: 3916
    February 16, 2012 at 3:45 pm #1039701

    I don’t think economics and liability should play any factor into the safety of our children but I guess it’s the world we live in, sad. As for the “other” part being safety issues, I don’t see how seatbelts can be a negative.

    channelcatben
    South Minneapolis
    Posts: 363
    February 16, 2012 at 4:02 pm #1039709

    I heard a bus driver talking about this once. She said something to the effect of “Could you imagine trying to get 30 plus little kids unbuckled after an accident?” Seemed like a valid point to me.

    out_fishing
    Moorhead, MN
    Posts: 1151
    February 16, 2012 at 4:14 pm #1039713

    Quote:

    I heard a bus driver talking about this once. She said something to the effect of “Could you imagine trying to get 30 plus little kids unbuckled after an accident?” Seemed like a valid point to me.

    Exactly, I just saw on the news a bus went up in flames. There would have been no way they all would have got out in time if they have their belts on. Also drivers have a hard enough time to get kids to sit down it would be almost impossible to get them to wear their belts.

    walleyebuster5
    Central MN
    Posts: 3916
    February 16, 2012 at 4:30 pm #1039718

    Never thought of the fire thing. Make sense if there are more fires on a bus than accidents that cause injury.

    gary d
    cordova,il
    Posts: 1125
    February 16, 2012 at 4:32 pm #1039721

    Quote:

    Quote:

    I heard a bus driver talking about this once. She said something to the effect of “Could you imagine trying to get 30 plus little kids unbuckled after an accident?” Seemed like a valid point to me.

    Also drivers have a hard enough time to get kids to sit down it would be almost impossible to get them to wear their belts.

    My wife drove school bus for 20 years and she said that also. She had a perfect record. It would be very hard to got the kids in seat belts. To get that done it would take more help in the buses them selfs. More money is what the schools do not have. At one time the schools in Illinois were looking into bars that come down like rides at a fair. Then all bars would have to be down for the bus to move. All and all it would be more money!!! I know safety of children is number one but, for mile driven I think safety record is pretty good.

    ggoody
    Mpls MN
    Posts: 2603
    February 16, 2012 at 5:01 pm #1039731

    School bus’s are real safe statistically speaking so I wouldn’t sweat this one to much…

    eyekatcher
    Lakeville, MN
    Posts: 966
    February 16, 2012 at 5:29 pm #1039744

    My car got hit by a school bus once. Well it used to be a car.
    Thought I was going to die, literally. The kids in the school bus barely noticed. The car had the the hood the hatch the motor and heater all thrown out. the seat I was in broke in half, all the glass except my door broke.
    They weigh a lot more than a car.
    Still thanking God for that one.

    brett-king
    Posts: 217
    February 16, 2012 at 5:39 pm #1039754

    Been in this business along time and on top of all mentioned safety issues there is simply no way to keep them buckled in period. A bus is a busy place and without an aid on every bus it will never work they just wouldn’t stay in them. Also as stated the cost is crazy to retrofit them.

    millerman
    Red Wing, MN
    Posts: 627
    February 16, 2012 at 6:37 pm #1039777

    Quote:

    Been in this business along time and on top of all mentioned safety issues there is simply no way to keep them buckled in period. A bus is a busy place and without an aid on every bus it will never work they just wouldn’t stay in them. Also as stated the cost is crazy to retrofit them.

    I was waiting for you to jump in. My father also has been in the buisness for 30 years. We have talked about it many times and you all hit it on the head. VERY safe way to transport our kids for sure! Sad to say but it is common in a severe accident the driver gets killed.

    brett-king
    Posts: 217
    February 16, 2012 at 8:33 pm #1039848

    Yep the kids are really safe the way the seats box them in for sure and also the way the buses are essentially built on a roll cage. They do get hurt but it is uncommon for them to get killed. I got to see the inside details of the bus crash from a few years back in western MN when that gal in the van hit the bus. After the details were put in front of me the odds were slim that it could happen like that again.

    whiskeysour
    4 miles from Pool 9
    Posts: 693
    February 16, 2012 at 9:11 pm #1039870

    And also how could the cheerleaders make out with the athletes on those long cold dark bus rides.

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