How come I can get a ticket for not wearing my seatbelt but children on school busses don't need them?

Answer 1

Smaller school buses are treated like passenger vehicles when it comes to seat belt requirements. Because of their small size they are more likely to eject passengers; as a result, they are equipped with seat belts as a matter of course. As for standard size school buses, the effectiveness of seat belts has been a source of debate for several years.

In 1992, five years after New York passed a law requiring seat belts on school buses, New Jersey passed a similar law. While New York's law makes use of the seat belts optional, New Jersey's law requires children to buckle up. In 1999, Florida, Louisiana, and California also enacted laws for what they called "improved occupant restraint systems" on large school buses, although they have not yet decided exactly what type of restraint they wish to require on their buses.

It may seem odd that in an atmosphere of increased emphasis on safety there would be any question about seat belts on large buses. Yet opponents, citing data from NHTSA, have said that seat belts on buses might do little to help children. Rather, they believe, the improved interior design of school buses (known as compartmentalization) is more effective. Since the 1970s, school bus seats have been mandated by law to be well-padded on both sides, with high backs and extra-sturdy anchoring, and no exposed rivets. The design of the modern school bus has been compared to that of an egg carton; the extra padding around the seats helps protect the passengers during sudden impacts and keeps them from being ejected from their seats. Moreover, say opponents of school bus seat belts, in the event of an accident, it would be much harder for someone to get children out of a bus if they are all wearing seat belts. This issue will not be resolved easily. What both sides can agree on, however, is that school buses are definitely safer today than they were in the early 1970s.

Answer 2

I use to be a School Bus Driver! and from experience it would make a wreck worse if children on buses wore seat belts. I would hate to think all those kids couldn't escape a burning bus or if it went under water or I might be killed and couldn't save anyone!.. I could never have gotten them out in a case like that, and you never know whats gonna happen. I've had nightmares about that!! Thank god there have never been any Bus tragedy's on our School District. They would definitely have a better chance without the belt. I know some of them would perish from being thrown around, but statistically more would survive without belts. Besides there would be no way to keep the belts on the buss es, kids today would cut them, it would be a losing battle!

Answer 3

The law is made by people, and they aren't perfect

School buses are hard to replace - it's not cost effective, I guess, to replace school buses with seat belted ones, unless some parents start making noise.

on the other hand, once people drive a private car, it's simple to make them wear a seatbelt that's already there.

Answer 4

That is a REALLY good question...one that I have often wondered myself. If anyone should be wearing their seatbelts it is the children on those school buses and I have NEVER ridden in one that had working seatbelts in them.

Answer 5

Seatbelts on school busses are deemed a bigger hazard that not having any..Kids hitting each other with the buckle and strangling the kid in front of them.

Answer 6

Because that is the law.

The honest answer is the cost, the fact the children would not wear them and there is usually only adult (the driver) and/or one aide on a bus. Who would buckle them all in, make sure they are buckled, stay buckled and then UNBUCKLE them in the case of an emergency???

To read more in depth about ALL the reasons why... go to this link:

http://www.ncsbs.org/testimonies/seat_belt_background.htm

Answer 7

.. Our kids should be required to wear seatbelts on buses, however, being on a school board at one time, the question was posed and the answer was that the government doesn't require them, I suppose you'd have to take this one before congress to get an answer.

Answer 8

Because your tax dollars have already paid for that school bus ;o) The whole seatbelt thing gets under my skin, I won't even start on my feelings about it.

Answer 9

Because in the case of an accident...say the bus plunges into a pool of water....or there is a fire....the children need to be able to get out of the bus very quickly...with seat belts...some children cannot undo them...or panic and not be able to.

Answer 10

Maybe so the children will be killed, so the number of pupils in the schools would be smaller, and therefore the government wouldn't have to pay for so many teachers, because they would be out-of-the-job. Or maybe people just care more about blonde females than children (I must say I do!)