ALT-3 Should School Buses have and Enforce Seat Belt use – Yes
Seat belts should be equipped and used in every single school bus. State laws should be enacted and carefully enforced. The last thing anybody wants to see are injuries due to motor vehicle accidents, especially those involving children in school buses. If it is easy enough for a child to be tossed around in a car, how much more would he or she be tossed in a school bus without proper seat belts? I've been in a disabling accident myself and have seen a number of school bus related accidents to warrant seat belt usage. Children are no less safe in school buses than they are in cars. In addition to seat belt laws for children in school buses, the drivers should also be randomly road and drug tested to ensure maximum efficiency. Reaction times also need to be tested. At least one or two matrons would be sufficient for the smaller buses and two to three for the large ones. Mandatory driver safety courses need to be offered to drivers and matrons alike.
There are laws governing seat belt usage in every state that I know of for adults and children. If a child is under eight years old, he/she must be secured in a child safety seat in the back seat of an automobile. Most people who get caught in violation of this law are usually fined pretty heavily. Shouldn't the same laws apply for school buses? If school bus companies were cited and fined for seat belt violations, their driving records would be impeccable. State laws do not permit school buses from crossing railroad tracks without stopping first. Nor do they allow buses from turning right on red after stop. Even though these are good safety measures in and of themselves, they alone are not enough to thoroughly protect children. Just by listening to the news every night, the number of school bus related accidents will tally up.
Reckless driving and road rage accidents are rising at an alarming rate. What's scary is that school bus accidents are also included. I've seen more road violations committed by school buses than ever before. My wife has been a matron for a number of years and has more stories than a blinking eye. These are just some of the many reasons why school buses must have seat belts and their uses be enforced. It is sad that we must take such precautions to keep our children safe. If this is what is necessary to ensure their well being, then by all means, let the school buses buckle up also.
