SAFETY FIRST: Shouldn't The NHTSA Require Seat Belts On School Buses?

Fifth grader Naomi Goodloe, 11, gets ready for a 22-mile bus ride to school from her Northwoods, Mo., neighborhood. Approximately 20 percent of school buses are equipped with seats belts. (AP photo).

Seat belts save lives. Using one is "the single most effective way" drivers can prevent death in a car accident, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the government agency charged with keeping motorists out of harm's way.

Yet when 26 million American children return to their classrooms aboard school buses over the next few weeks, chances are they'll be heading to school unbelted.

Only about 20 percent of the nation's 480,000 school buses have seat belts available, and only six states –- New York, New Jersey, California, Texas, Louisiana and Florida -– have laws that begin to address seat belts on school buses.
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Sciros - 8/19/2013 2:30:46 PM

+1 Boost

Of course they should have seat belts. Yes, the riveted monstrosity that is the American school bus can pretty deal with a vehicular collision similary to how a tank would. But in cases of rollover, or even of going over serious potholes where unbelted students get tossed off their seats, seat belts could help quite a bit. I don't see a good reason why costs are cut on stuff like this.

t_bone - 8/19/2013 8:18:07 PM

+1 Boost

I didn't know that! I wonder what the car-hating Nazis over at carseat.org think about their children going beltless. They advocate for 16-point harnesses that will survive the force of 60 Hiroshima impacts but haven't called this out?

Mustang953 - 8/19/2013 10:24:23 PM

+2 Boost

I am continually amazed at the stupidity of the American adult. law after law banning everything that may even appear dangerous, but they continue to allow these death traps out on the roads with their children. These are truck chassis's with a body. Look at the height of the vehicle, it is a top heavy accident waiting to happen, and they have never, never required the children to be belted in. But, just let Mom pick up a kid at school in a minivan, and not belt the kid in. Child protective services would be making an arrest and taking the child into "protective custody". Go figure..

TheDepressingTruth - 8/20/2013 1:38:09 AM

+1 Boost

Yes, There SHOULD be seat belts on School Buses...but, Kids would use them as weapons...So, It's "Natural Selection at work" if you DON'T put your Kid on a School Bus, they are more likely live to adulthood...AND as Mustang953 said above.."they continue to allow these death traps out on the roads...it is a top heavy accident waiting to happen"

TheDepressingTruth - 8/20/2013 1:42:39 AM

+1 Boost

What We need is a "better School Bus Design"...but That will NEVER Happen...because the present School Bus Design is cheap to make, cheap to buy.