NATIONAL COALITION OF SCHOOL BUS SAFETY NEWS 2006

Board OKs Mandate for Seat Belts on School Buses
Families of the Beaumont crash victims laud the pioneering move.
July 27, 2006

School board trustees unanimously approved a measure Thursday mandating lap-shoulder seat belts on its school buses, making it only the second district in the state to require safety restraints.

It was an emotional moment for about 30 parents and family members of soccer players who were injured or killed in a rollover bus accident in March. They stood in unison and gave the board trustees a standing ovation.

''This is the first line of protection," said Steve Forman. His daughter, Allison, was one of four girls ejected during the accident.

“She has undergone four surgeries to reconstruct her arm, which was pinned under the charter bus.

''I'm thrilled. I'm thrilled for the other parents, and I'm mostly thrilled for our students," said Forman, who led the parent committee that urged school officials to consider seat belts. The group also worked with the school transportation director in developing the recommendation.

The board's decision puts Beaumont ISD ahead of most Texas school districts, which do not require seat belts on school buses. The only other district with such a mandate is the Austin ISD. It has required lap belts since the 1980s.

Experts say lap-only belts do not protect against whiplash or other soft-tissue injuries.

Trustees voted to buy 10 new buses that will be equipped with the lap-shoulder belts. The district already had on order 20 new school buses, and those, too, will be fitted with seat belts. All 30 buses are to arrive in January, said Clifton Guillory, the district's transportation director.

The buses will be used for long-distance trips up to 125 miles one way.

''I commend the committee for their recommendations," said trustee Howard Trahan. "I think we'll be the forerunner ... Primarily our concern is the safety of the students. It's unfortunate that two students had to give their lives for us to realize the importance of seat belts."

Trahan was referring to soccer players Alicia Bonura and Ashley Brown, who died as a result of the March charter-bus accident. On Thursday, their pictures sat prominently by school board President Martha Hick's microphone during the meeting. A parent had given the pictures to Hicks before the school board meeting.

The girls were among 23 soccer players riding on a charter bus to Humble for a playoff game when the accident happened on March 29. The driver of the bus swerved to miss some debris on a rainy stretch of U.S. 90 in Liberty County. The bus overturned and ejected four players.

Forman told trustees he and other parents had no idea how unsafe charter buses were until they began to investigate them. They soon learned that school buses, even without seat belts, were safer than the commercial buses, he said.

He said in their research they also became more knowledgeable about the advantages of lap-shoulder seat belts in school buses. That's when they urged school officials to consider installing them in their buses.

There are no federal laws that require seat belts on charter buses. Only five states have laws requiring seat belts on school buses.

Mike Bonura, whose daughter, Alicia, died in the accident, said he feels better knowing that his two other children will have seat belts when they ride a school bus.

''Safety needs to be the No. 1 priority in taking care of a child," Bonura said. "The board showed it's making safety a No. 1 priority. That's a good feeling."

Soccer player Jessica Barry, who suffered abrasions on her back from broken glass, said she's excited about the board's decision.

''This makes it easier for parents to put their kids on the bus, and they know they're safe," she said.

Guillory said the district buys 10 to 20 new school buses each year and expects the district's entire fleet to be equipped with seat belts within five to six years.

By RENEE C. LEE Copyright 2006
Houston Chronicle BEAUMONT

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