Why don't they have seat belts on school buses?

Question

It is illegal to drive without a seatbelt. Why don't they have seatbelts in school buses?

Answer 1

Ask Yahoo! had the answer to this:
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration argues that seat belts aren't the most effective way to protect passengers on school buses. Instead the big yellow beasts employ something called "compartmentalization."
Think back to your days on the good ol' school bus. Remember how those rigid green seats were wedged closer together than on even the cheapest no-frills airline? That's compartmentalization in action. Sitting in "strong, closely-spaced seats that have energy-absorbing high seat backs," passengers are effectively protected from crashes. Of course, the method can't prevent all injuries, but the NHTSA argues it's the best possible solution. Several studies have shown seat belts would provide "little, if any, added protection."

School districts are permitted to add seat belts to buses, but they also must make sure the seat belts are used properly. And as anyone who's ever ridden on a bus full of elementary school children knows, that's no easy task.

Even so, plenty of folks feel seat belts on school buses should be mandatory. The National Coalition for School Bus Safety believes compartmentalization doesn't protect against "rear-end, lateral and rollover collisions." And they contend that seat belts are affordable, even for cash-strapped school districts.


http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20050512.html

Answer 2

I have been working on this. Part of the problem is the cost! Most buses in service are over 20 years old. AND most buses are contracted, not subsidized by local school districts. That means private enterprise being employed by local funding.

There is also problems with exhaust emissions, driver regulations, and emergency procedures. This is an area of extreme importance.

The cost of re-fitting a 20 year old bus for seat belts............ALMOST 15 thousand. Can you believe It!? They get into the bolts, the straps, how many per seat, yadda yadda yadda..........

I will say the real problem..........it is a seemingly innocuous situation. The kids just going to their field trip, on their way to school. We always think the causalities is because of the other car\transportation.

BUT...............all the causalities would be cut to almost 85% if there were seat belts , AND all bus drivers were thoroughly background checked! I will add, as being an involved parent, when you noticed a bad driver..........TELL the administration and\or parent-teacher organization!

Too many of us just "Let it go!" Even cops just let things go! Especially concerning school buses. Talk it up! Squeaky wheels........

Look at my avatar...........this is my main interest!

Answer 3

School buses should have seat belts. Here in Nebraska a couple kids got killed a few years ago when the school bus driver lost control in a construction zone and went over the guardrail off a bridge. If the kids had been seatbelted in...they might not have died. It would be difficult to monitor use though. I remember how rowdy we got on the bus back in my day...

Answer 4

i think of it particularly is a sturdy thought. i do no longer think of it would take them too lots longer to get off the bus than it does now. the babies might understand their end became coming and have their seat belt undone long until now the bus got here to an entire end. I additionally think of having seat belts on the bus might avert all those little ones from status up jointly as the bus is going. daily as quickly as I %. my little ones up from college we fallow 2 buses by using city, and all the way by using city variety of a million/3 to a million/2 of the bus little ones are status interior the aisle way or of their seat. Had that been my little ones in my vehicle dealing with city status up i might get pulled over and fined. additionally the only harm you suggested became death. What approximately different attainable injuries that would desire to result from a bus twist of destiny? What if we could say the bus became in a roll over twist of destiny those little ones could be tossed around like popcorn in a popcorn popper. broken bones, busted noses, concussion, etc all that would have been prevented by using the undemanding use of a seat belt. and that i'm particular those injuries have befell.

Answer 5

Some school buses have them but I believe all of them should.

Answer 6

there arent any seat belts because if there ever was a crash with a school bus an another vehicle, the seats themselves would act as giant airbags. imagine urself hitting the from seat.....it would b all cushiony n stuff.

Answer 7

Because the buses will destroy the other car and the bus doesnt get hurt at all hardly. haha

Answer 8

i think some buses do have them but not all. good question .give the dps a call. department of transportation. there may be a good reason ?

Answer 9

kids get outta line bus driver hits the breaks, induce the fear factor in crowd control
called group therapy

Answer 10

They do have them they are just cut off by the students or stuffed in to the seat so you cant see them.