SCHOOL BUS CRASH REPORTS 2007

School Officials Say Bus Seat Belts Reduced Injuries
No Kids Seriously Hurt in Collision
March 13, 2007

Four students suffered minor injuries when the bus they were riding in was involved in a head-on collision Monday, and school officials praised the use of lap seat belts for keeping injuries to a minimum, police and school officials said.

The bus carrying Rutherford Academy students was headed to school about 7:45 a.m. when it was struck by a car driven by Heather Haslem, 16, Tennessee Highway Patrol officials said.

Haslem and the four students on board were treated and released from Middle Tennessee Medical Center, according to the patrol.

The bus had been traveling north on Flat Rock Road when Haslem's southbound car went into the northbound lane, said THP spokesman Mike Browning.

Rutherford Academy, a private school whose students have emotional or learning disabilities, uses only small buses to transport its 45 students, said Terry Adams, executive director of Genesis Learning Centers. Federal laws require buses under 10,000 pounds to have lap belts, but larger buses have no similar law.

"I personally went to every kid on that bus today and asked if they were using their seat belt, and they all were, which was a relief," Adams said. "Trying to get teenagers to wear a seat belt is difficult, and when you're talking about students with behavioral issues, it can be a different story."

The issue of making seat belts available on all school buses comes up yearly in the legislature, and there are bills under consideration now that would make three-point seat belts mandatory on all buses, if passed. A three-point seat belt is one with a lap and shoulder portion.

There were 558 bus accidents with injuries statewide between 2002 and 2005, according to THP statistics.

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