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NATIONAL COALITION OF SCHOOL BUS SAFETY NEWS 2007
Accident
Revives School Bus Seat Belt Debate Seventh-grader Russell Manning remembers looking out his school bus window one minute and then seeing broken glass and blood everywhere the next. His bus, headed to Grant County Middle School, sideswiped a utility pole Wednesday as it crossed both lanes of traffic. "It felt like I was going to die because I didn't think it was over yet," Manning, 12, said. All 17 students were sent to the hospital. Manning ended up with three staples to close a gash on his head, but a few other students were more seriously injured. While Kentucky now requires passengers in other motor vehicles to wear seat belts, the Grant County incident raises concerns about whether Kentucky should join other states in requiring that school buses have seat belts. "It's not rocket science," said Alan Ross, president of the National Coalition for School Bus Safety. "It's a simple strap; it saves lives." Cody Shively, 12, of Dry Ridge, remains in critical condition. He was taken to Cincinnati Children's Hospital after the accident. Josh Causey, 13, of Dry Ridge, was discharged from the hospital Thursday, said spokesman Jim Feurer. Jacob Clise, 14, of Dry Ridge was taken to University of Kentucky Children's Hospital. Police said he was in critical condition Wednesday, but the hospital cannot release further information. Police are still investigating the accident, thought to be one of the first of the year. In the past five years, there have been 5,184 collisions involving school buses statewide. In the period, 15 people were killed and 1,474 were injured, according to records from the Kentucky State Police. Nationwide, about 17,000 people per year received emergency room treatment after school bus accidents between 2001 and 2003, according to a report published in November by The Center for Injury Research and Policy at Columbus Children's Hospital. "It doesn't matter whether you are in a school bus or whether you're in a family car, the laws of physics apply the same to the child," said Dr. Gary Smith, director of the center. "If you are not restrained, you will go flying, and that can result in a very serious injury." Ross said he knows of 27 states that will introduce legislative bills this year regarding seat belts in school buses. California, Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey, and New York already have laws in place. So far, there has been no legislation in the past that would mandate the implementation of seat belts on school buses in Kentucky, said Lisa Gross, spokeswoman for the Kentucky Department of Education. Small school buses, which have a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less, are equipped with seat belts as required by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, she said. Gross points out that the National Transportation Safety Board does not recommend seat belts on school buses. Among the reasons: the belts could be used as weapons and bus drivers would be responsible for unbuckling young children in emergency situations. "School buses are designed to serve as a kind of cocoon," she said. "When accidents happen, the chances that you will be hurt, like in a car, are less." The Kentucky Center for School Safety does not have a stand on this issue because research goes both ways, said Jon Akers, director for the agency. Seat belts "are not proven to work efficiently in school buses because of the number of kids" that sit in a row, Akers said. Safety measures that have taken place include softening seat cushions and raising the back of seats to prevent whiplash, he said. Buses in the Grant County school district are not equipped with seat belts. That doesn't bother Manning, who says a seat belt would have made his situation worse. He is glad he fell off his seat and hit the emergency door bar rather than stay put. He said his head had the potential of moving forward and would have gone through the window. "I don't have anything against seat belts, but I'm glad I didn't have one at the time," he said. Instead, Manning suggests having plexiglass windows that don't shatter easily and for the driver to always keep eyes on the road. Nancy Howe, spokeswoman for the Grant County Schools, said the district is waiting for more information about the accident from Kentucky State Police. Until then, it's premature to assess whether seat belts could have altered the outcome of the accident, she said. The driver of the bus, Angel Young-Howe, is currently on leave. The driver had been working for the school district as a bus driver since August 2004. Nancy Howe declined to discuss whether there had been problems with the driver in the past. By Jillian Ogawa
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