NATIONAL COALITION OF SCHOOL BUS SAFETY NEWS 2007

Seat-belt question still being debated
January 18, 2007

A school bus crash that injured 17 Grant County middle school students Wednesday has refocused attention on whether school buses should have seat belts.

School buses in most states, including Kentucky, don't and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says research shows there's no reason for mandating belts.

"School bus crash data show that a federal requirement for belts on buses would provide little, if any, added protection in a crash," the agency reported.

Two organizations that deal with school bus issues have differing views. The National Coalition for School Bus Safety heartily endorses combined lap-shoulder belts and says lap belts are better than nothing.

The National Association for Pupil Transportation, however, is against lap belts and wants more research on lap-shoulder belts before taking a stand on them.

"In this day and age when everybody buckles up in cars, it's almost unbelievable that we don't give basic protection to our children," said Dr. Alan Ross, president of the National Coalition for School Bus Safety, headquartered in Torrington, Conn.

"The laws of physics aren't suspended because a bus is large and painted yellow. When a vehicle stops abruptly, those forces are going to be absorbed by the occupants if they're not restrained or cradled."

Ross said there's a one-word explanation why the federal government and 45 states don't require belts.

"Money," he said. "The school bus industry is a multi-billion dollar industry and it spends a lot of money on lobbying. The industry could make money on extras like belts, but they know bus contracts are usually won by the lowest bidder."

Mike Martin, executive director of the National Association for Pupil Transportation, headquartered in Albany, N.Y., said his group opposes lap belts because research shows they have little, if any, benefit and can increase the risk of abdominal and pelvic injury to small children.

As for lap-shoulder belts, Martin said statistics indicate that they could save one life per year if used correctly, but could cause neck, abdominal or pelvic injuries if misused.

"We don't have a yes or no answer on them," he said. "We're not opposed to lap-shoulder belts, but will only endorse them if there's clear evidence that they will improve the safety of every child. We think additional research is needed."

The National Education Association said that many school bus drivers oppose seat belts because some students use the buckles as weapons, because students could be trapped by their belts in an emergency evacuation and because it's difficult to make sure students keep the belts fastened.

Ross said he finds it hard to believe that students wouldn't stay buckled up.

"Thirty years ago that may have been a concern," he said. "Not today. Kids know about seat belts. Some youngsters who get on a school bus for the first time ask, 'Where are the seat belts?' They're used to them in cars.

"What type of message does it send to our children not to even have seat belts in school buses?"

Ross said only New York, New Jersey, Florida, Louisiana and California have laws requiring seat belts on school buses manufactured after certain dates.

He said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration should be "ashamed" for not advocating laws that require seat belts on school buses.

While the agency supports seat belts in cars and light trucks, it said that "school buses are heavier, experience less crash force and distribute crash force differently than do passenger cars and light trucks.

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