Why is it illegal (in Tx anyways) to drive w/o a seat belt yet school buses are not required by law to have them. When I was in school the buses were over crowded and some kids had to stand, now how is that safe?
2006-07-31 18:23:04 · 8 answers · asked by mystique_dragon4 4 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Safety
Because someone thought they had the right to tell everyone else how to live their life. So, they decided that if you would not do what they said was best on your own, they would have the police force make you to do it their way. See Might makes Right. And the bus companies had more Might than the seat belt fanatics, so the law does not apply to them.
2006-07-31 18:33:32 · answer #1 · answered by rehabob 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The reason kids don't have to wear belts on buses is twofold.
First, the mass of the bus and the high seatbacks provide a great degree of safety for the kids.
Second, if there were an emergency, children (especially young ones) could panic and not be able to release their belts. It could take the driver a very long time to help kids get out of their belts when they might need to exit the bus quickly.
Passenger cars are another matter altogether. The likelyhood of being injured seriously increases dramatically if seats belt are not worn. The NHTSA has loads of research data available if you are interested. Forget any hooey you hear about being trapped in your car, or that being 'thrown clear' of the car is safer, it's nonsense perpetuated by people who don't know what they are talking about. That's why states have belt laws that are regularly enforced.
The overcrowding thing is another issue, buses should never be loaded above capacity and the school system could get into serious trouble, especially if a kid were to get hurt. America is a very litigious country.
2006-08-01 02:50:06 · answer #2 · answered by Harry 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Buses probably should have seatbelts.
When a lighter vehicle hits a bus, it causes more injury to its passengers than the passengers on a bus. That might be the reason why. Also buses are more visible and therefore less likely to be in an accident. Bus drivers carry a commercial driver's license and have better driving records that the normal driver.
Driving without a seatbelt causes problems when there is an accident. If you are in the backseat, your flying body can kill other passengers in the car. Also the person who hit you can be charged for vehicular manslaughter if you die. In many cases, a person is charged with manslaughter even though the victim would have lived had he/she been wearing a seatbelt.
On the other hand, it isn't illegal to ride a motorcycle and proportionally more motorcylists die than unbelted car occupants.
My children's nanny was killed because she did not wear a seatbelt. I saw her car which had repeatedly flipped and it was hardly dented. It was agreed that she would have walked away from the accident had she worn a seatbelt. Instead, her body parts ended up all over the highway. Because of her decision, her boyfriend and family members suffered greatly. It was an unbelievable shock.
2006-08-01 01:36:42 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just because there's a contradiction doesn't make the law invalid. I suggest you send a letter to your legislators and ask them this same question. The reason it is illegal to drive w/o a seat belt (yet legal to not provide them on school buses) is purely a matter of state statute.
2006-08-01 01:27:28 · answer #4 · answered by cyanne2ak 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The number of kids killed in school bus accidents, and unrestrained drivers and passengers in cars differs greatly. Buses are designed to cushion the impact of unrestrained kids, but cars are not designed to absorb the impact of an unrestrained human or humans. Also consider the size of school buses in proportion to cars, and the different speeds that they normally travel as well. If I was in a crash, I know that i would rather be unrestrained on a bus, then flying through the windscreen of a car. If you don't want to wear your seatbelt, then don't, but be ready to be fined if the cops pull you over. On the other hand, don't expect EMT's to put humpty together again after you've gone through the windscreen of your car! Lots of people hate seatbelts, but if they save your life, I'm all for it! Wear it. How hard is it, or does it clash with your fashion sense. maybe black or grey aren't the 'in' colors of the season! Oops, never knew safety had to be fashion conscious!
2006-08-01 08:09:37 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just like i tell the kids that ride my school bus...These buses actually pretty safe.. they are designed with student safety in mind... if you sit properly in your seat, the back of the seat in front of you provides enuf cushion to break a fall and sits tall enuf to keep you from flying.. In fact the students in most cases are safer than the driver up front who has the seat belt...
now the overcrowding and having students stand is highly illegal according to Federal guidlines ... the bus company and/or school district could be severly penalized for allowing that to happen.
As far as the actual seat belts? i hate them and think it should be a personal choice... i figuere if the accident is bad enuf we gonna die anyway
2006-08-01 01:34:46 · answer #6 · answered by monie99701 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree, but I think it is because of the low speeds buses normally travel, coupled with the fact that they are really fricken huge and really hard to hurt.
2006-08-01 01:28:18 · answer #7 · answered by bigbadb 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No not really but in a car it is "Click it or Ticket"
2006-08-01 01:30:30 · answer #8 · answered by Hawtman1092 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋