Seat belts on school buses doesn’t add up

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued a recommendation that all school buses should be equipped with safety belts.   It’s a recommendation, not a ruling or a requirement.   Their rationale for seat belts on school buses – – “it just makes sense.”    No data, no scientific study, nothing to justify seat belts on school buses.

In the last 10 years, 200 children have been killed in school bus accidents.   During the same time period – – more than 300,000 Americans have been killed in automobile accidents – most of them in cars equipped with seat belts.

While the death of any child is a tragedy, remember – – school buses carry millions of children, millions of miles every single year in the United States – on all types of roads , in all types of weather.    It is the safest form of transportation in the United States.

School buses are designed for safety.   The seats are padded front, back and top.   There are no protruding pieces of any kind and the windows can be pushed out in the rare case of an emergency.   The children are safely enclosed in a cocoon.   But not only are they in a cocoon inside – – they’re also in a cocoon outside.

Red lights, yellow lights, flashing lights, barricades, stop signs – – all warn drivers that children are about to enter or exit the school bus.   We’re all taught at an early age to stop for school buses – – and the fines for not doing so are extremely high.

School buses are the safest way to travel in the entire United States.

Why would we want to complicate matters by adding seat belts?    Who would be responsible for making certain a child was buckled up?   If a school bus got into an accident and a child wasn’t belted in and bumped his head – – who would be responsible?   The lawyers would add school bus seat belt accidents to their list of money-making activities.   School districts have deep pockets.

Seat belts on school buses are just a problem that hasn’t arisen.

Remember this – – since the North Thurston School District was founded in 1953 – not a single child has been killed on a school bus.  I suspect you would find similar results in Olympia and Tumwater as well.