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NATIONAL COALITION OF SCHOOL BUS SAFETY NEWS 2007Nearly 1/2 Million School Buses on Our Nation's Highways and They Don't Count as a Forth Major Concern??? An eLetter was sent to the Detroit Press reporter that wrote the story, ''Smaller school buses to get belts.'' Any willing please critique the letter for any possible errors in fact: November 20, 2007 Dear David Shepardson, Please Note: The story, ''Smaller school buses to get belts,'' is riddled with so many questionable assumptions that it seems a longer letter than might be the usual is necessary. The industry's and friends usual arguments against seat belts on the big school buses are virtually identical arguments used against seat belts in U.S. automobiles during the 1950's. How many lives each year are actually saved with seat belts installed in automobiles? New York, New Jersey, Louisiana, Florida, California and now Texas require lap or three-point shoulder belts on their big school buses. School districts in states using belts but not mandated include Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma and Vermont. "No rule, but Chicago does it" -- Mandate or no mandate, the Chicago Public Schools have had seat belts on buses since 1975, spokesman Mike Vaughn said, "It makes students safer." (July 24, 2007, Chicago Sun-Times) These states and school districts apparently solved the installation costs, evacuation issues and the other arguments promoted against seat belts. Over 700 school districts, as of 1998, had seat belts installed on their school buses. There is more than adequate data available to compile actual crash data. But injury and death data is difficult to assess because seat belts reduce bus driver distraction, which in turn reduce crashes. Although seat belts are promoted to reduce capacity, there is no loss in capacity where lap belts are installed. And where 3-point restraints are installed on the big school buses? Arthur L. Yeager, an expert on seat belt use in New Jersey, where 16,000 school buses were equipped with seat belts by 1998, rejects the reduced capacity assumption. "Those with actual experience with the 3-point belts reported an actual increase in seating capacity for middle school and high school children. These children are currently assigned two to a seat, four across and now the buses can accommodate five across - a 25% increase in capacity. Fewer buses and less cost!" NHTSA may have warned in the past that adding the belts could be expensive, reduce seating capacity and reduce ridership. What is missing in the story is the new SafeGuard FlexSeat™ that can safely transport three elementary school children or two high school kids on a standard 39-inch seat. This innovative bus seat with three lap-shoulder belts resolves capacity issues and enhances bus safety with its unique approach to maintaining compartmentalization. With the FlexSeat, one seat fits all. With SmartFrame, the FlexSeat observes the full spirit of FMVSS 222 compartmentalization. Even an unrestrained child receives full compartmentalization protection, regardless of whether the child in front is restrained. (FlexSeat Information: http://www.safeguardseat.com/bus/products_flex.htm) All this attention on 3-point belts and their cost may be nothing more than another way to discourage use through over engineering. The reality is that behind the scenes last year 28-percent of IC Corporation's, the nation's largest integrated school bus manufacture, new school bus production in the U.S. are factory installed with seat belts -- 25-percent with lap belts; 3-percent with 3-point belts. So where are all the actual brain, neck and back injuries that these safety devices are supposed to cause? Those injuries and also ejection's occur on the school buses not equipped with seat belts and often at side impact and low speed rollover crashes, not just at high speeds, and not on seat belt equipped school buses where use is also required. Had the industry not made everyone so paranoid over lap belts on the big school buses it would still be considered safe to install these simple devices for children to use, in my opinion. My personal experience with these devices would indicate lap or 3-point belts are acceptable options. I firmly believe that many lives could have been saved had their installation been required decades ago. James
Kraemer, Director
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