I am a school bus driver and agree with the above comments on fire, water and panic. Additionally, you have to consider the fact that the driver would be responsible for checking that each belt is secured properly and the effect that alone would have on the tight time schedule not to mention the children undoing the belt in a split second. Ultimately, the bus is much safer without seat belts.
Lacey - 9 years ago
God forbid this bus was to go into a body of water or catch fire the adult on the bus would need to get the children off the bus in a quick manner! What about making the seats floatable. I'm not sure seat belts would be good if everyone needed to make a quick exit for younger students.
Deborah - 9 years ago
I drive a bus and the chance of fire, seat belts, and scared children spell disaster.
Diane - 9 years ago
I completely agree with Jill's comment! There is far more of a chance of the bus catching fire than there is for it to roll over. They are built like tanks with 'chair rail' molding all the way around to help prevent impact the same way it protects your walls from a chair impacting it. And with the tight schedules bus drivers are already on, getting all 60 Kindergarteners to buckle up will take a LOT more time or an assistant which will equal more $ to spend. Not to mention the children who will take their seat belts off & hit the one sitting next to them with it. One more disciplinary issue for the driver to deal with. It's NOT broke so why are we trying to fix it? You want to save the life of a child? Install red light cameras on all the school bus stop signs to ticket violators who can & do run children down because they are in a hurry or worse...texting & driving! Perhaps the revenue from those violators (it's a $500 fine!) can eventually pay for the 16,000 seat belts?!
jill - 9 years ago
What happens when that bus catches on fire with 60 kindergarteners and the bus driver can only get a few seat belts undone. They will all die. No one thinks of a bus fire.
I am a school bus driver and agree with the above comments on fire, water and panic. Additionally, you have to consider the fact that the driver would be responsible for checking that each belt is secured properly and the effect that alone would have on the tight time schedule not to mention the children undoing the belt in a split second. Ultimately, the bus is much safer without seat belts.
God forbid this bus was to go into a body of water or catch fire the adult on the bus would need to get the children off the bus in a quick manner! What about making the seats floatable. I'm not sure seat belts would be good if everyone needed to make a quick exit for younger students.
I drive a bus and the chance of fire, seat belts, and scared children spell disaster.
I completely agree with Jill's comment! There is far more of a chance of the bus catching fire than there is for it to roll over. They are built like tanks with 'chair rail' molding all the way around to help prevent impact the same way it protects your walls from a chair impacting it. And with the tight schedules bus drivers are already on, getting all 60 Kindergarteners to buckle up will take a LOT more time or an assistant which will equal more $ to spend. Not to mention the children who will take their seat belts off & hit the one sitting next to them with it. One more disciplinary issue for the driver to deal with. It's NOT broke so why are we trying to fix it? You want to save the life of a child? Install red light cameras on all the school bus stop signs to ticket violators who can & do run children down because they are in a hurry or worse...texting & driving! Perhaps the revenue from those violators (it's a $500 fine!) can eventually pay for the 16,000 seat belts?!
What happens when that bus catches on fire with 60 kindergarteners and the bus driver can only get a few seat belts undone. They will all die. No one thinks of a bus fire.