Seatbelts on a School Bus? The last word..

[michaellee]

Another thread discussed federal seat belt laws, and the question of school buses not having them was raised, and a few posts suggested that the children would be safer without them.

Check out this video....School bus video (http://mediaframe.yahoo.com/launch?p=news&a=0,30&provider=ap_av&.test=1&f=53746353&lid=rnv-56-s.5298514,rnv-128-s.5298514,rnv-200-s.5298514,rnv-300-s.5298514,wmv-50-s.5298515,wmv-100-s.5298516,wmv-300-s.5298517,&t=AudioVideo%20-%20AP%20-%20School%20Bus%20Accident%20Video%20Released%20&bw=http%253A%252F%252Fstory.news.yahoo.com%252Fnew s%253Ftmpl%253Dindex2%2526cid%253D981&dw=http%3A%2F%2Fstory.news.yahoo.com%2Fnews%3Ftmpl %3Dstory2%26u%3D%2F031018%2F163%2F5lvji.html)

Sure does look as if the kids on the bus may have been better off with seat belts. Or am I wrong?

[RCNelson]

michaellee:
Check out this video....School bus video (http://mediaframe.yahoo.com/launch?p=news&a=0,30&provider=ap_av&.test=1&f=53746353&lid=rnv-56-s.5298514,rnv-128-s.5298514,rnv-200-s.5298514,rnv-300-s.5298514,wmv-50-s.5298515,wmv-100-s.5298516,wmv-300-s.5298517,&t=AudioVideo%20-%20AP%20-%20School%20Bus%20Accident%20Video%20Released%20&bw=http%253A%252F%252Fstory.news.yahoo.com%252Fnew s%253Ftmpl%253Dindex2%2526cid%253D981&dw=http%3A%2F%2Fstory.news.yahoo.com%2Fnews%3Ftmpl %3Dstory2%26u%3D%2F031018%2F163%2F5lvji.html)

Sure does look as if the kids on the bus may have been better off with seat belts. Or am I wrong? Any seat belts used on a school bus would have to properly accommodate a all sizes from skinny 1st graders to fat 12th graders. If the belts were improperly adjusted so that they did not fit snugly around the hip, they could cause lots of internal damage to the gut during an accident.

Also notice that in the rollover video, no kids were seriously injured.

[Zep]

Any seat belts used on a school bus would have to properly accommodate a all sizes from skinny 1st graders to fat 12th graders. If the belts were improperly adjusted so that they did not fit snugly around the hip, they could cause lots of internal damage to the gut during an accident.Exactly the same argument has been used against having to wear a lap-belt in commercial aircraft. And it's wrong. Studies there indicate that even a badly adjusted lap-belt is better than no belt at all. Comparisons of aircraft encountering turbulence (which has similar effects to tumbling vehicle accidents) show that unrestrained passengers get more injuries of a more serious nature.Also notice that in the rollover video, no kids were seriously injured. ...not THIS time, because it was going fairly slowly, and they were VERY lucky. If it was going faster, don't you think it would have rolled once or more? So what would have been the result for these kids? Sure, with belts, they may get bruising and broken bones. But that's LOTS better than broken skulls and necks (and worse) without belts.

[Upchurch]

The first thing I noticed after everyone fell to the right was that I saw almost nothing but feet. That means almost everyone landed on their heads. That can't be good.

I'm for the seatbelts

[Flame]

Originally posted by RCNelson
Any seat belts used on a school bus would have to properly accommodate a all sizes from skinny 1st graders to fat 12th graders. If the belts were improperly adjusted so that they did not fit snugly around the hip, they could cause lots of internal damage to the gut during an accident.

Surely they could take the time to use adjustable seatbelts or have certain seats that the smaller children use and seats that the bigger kids use!
I realise that money and time are limited in all societies today, but safety is number one.
I've always thought that it was crazy not having seatbelts on schoolbuses.
My son is lucky enough to use a 'minivan' type bus and there is an aide and properly fitted seatbelts. When we heard that he was to take the bus to school it was one of the first issues we raised with the school principal regarding his starting school.


Also notice that in the rollover video, no kids were seriously injured.

Because in one incident there were no serious injuries you feel that makes a point for the arguement?
Only a very weak one.


Seatbelts for children - now!

Toni

[michaellee]

The number of crashes involving a bus, either school or public is higher than I imagined. I did a simple search for "bus crash" and was amazed at the number and frequency of these types of bus related collisions. From the ones I read about, most involved situations where seat belts could of only helped saved lives.

I find it troubling that in a previous thread, most who responded posted excuses for not providing seat belts for school buses; excuses like if the bus were submerged in water the kids would need to get out quickly....

It is refreshing to read the posts in support.

The hypocrisy of the govt in this particular area just blows my mind. Whatever happened to "lets do it for the children" and such. When push comes to shove, the best lawmakers can do is to create laws, that when violated, result in fines and penalties.

Ticketing children, 25-50 at a time for not wearing seatbelts seems like something law enforcement would chomp at the bit for. I suppose collecting the fines is a different story.

The only legislation created because of school bus crashes I have seen is.....requiring the DRIVER of the bus to wear seatbelts! Of course, the driver can be ticketed, and pay the fine so why not?

The casualties and injuries to the kids? Naw, there are better ways to spend our tax dollars in the education area. New classes like "How to get along with people who may not look like you", and purchasing sex education videos covering both heterosexual and homosexual relations, and spending more tax dollars ensuring that those evil soda dispensing machines are not making our kids fat. What are the fines for drinking a soda at school? Who pays the fine?

Hypocritical claptrap abounds.