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Am I to understand that the school buses in Laud. Co. have no seat belts? If we put our children in a car without a seatbelt the LEO's will ticket us in a heartbeat. (as they should)
Then what could be the possible logic in putting 30 or 40 children on a school bus without seat belts? Are they somehow immune from accidents and injury? If all this info is correct, WHY do we stand by and endanger our children every school day?

"I sure feel a lot more like I do now than when I first got here"

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No. 1 , I think AEA is probably against it because the driver would be responsible for releasing the students if there was a wreck. With Russellville Buses for example carrying from 30 to 80 students you can see the problem.
A driver would have no chance and if the driver is injuried then what. I don't have the answer other than pray there is never that kind of wreck.
quote:
Originally posted by paw-paw:
Am I to understand that the school buses in Laud. Co. have no seat belts? If we put our children in a car without a seatbelt the LEO's will ticket us in a heartbeat. (as they should)
Then what could be the possible logic in putting 30 or 40 children on a school bus without seat belts? Are they somehow immune from accidents and injury? If all this info is correct, WHY do we stand by and endanger our children every school day?



I don't think ANY school buses have seat belts on them. I may be wrong but that is my understanding.
Interesting points. Lawguy, thanks for the link. Although, I fail to see the need for the study. Do we not already have extensive studies that prove that "seat belts save lives"? Is this not the reason for the seatbelt law? Seems to me like this logic should be extended to the children.
Joy, you have a logical reply but do you think that every parent could transport their children to school? Most have to work.
The anti-seat belt for school buses crowd is relying heavily on the fact that school buses are engineered differently than standard automobiles, and that they react substantially differently in crashes...along with the old saw about being trapped in case of a fire or water crash.

Only New York and New Jersey currently require seat belts on school buses. Legislation was proposed in 17 states last year, but was voted down.
quote:
Originally posted by Sassy Kims:
The anti-seat belt for school buses crowd is relying heavily on the fact that school buses are engineered differently than standard automobiles, and that they react substantially differently in crashes...along with the old saw about being trapped in case of a fire or water crash.

Only New York and New Jersey currently require seat belts on school buses. Legislation was proposed in 17 states last year, but was voted down.


Unless it has changed the body of the bus is just bolted on the frame and would be a ripped up mess if it took a big hit. How would a teacher react to releasing the belts of that many kids? Looks like an unsafe thing to me. Better count on the safe and serious drivers you have right now to protedt the kids.
quote:
Originally posted by pineywoodscat:
quote:
Originally posted by Sassy Kims:
The anti-seat belt for school buses crowd is relying heavily on the fact that school buses are engineered differently than standard automobiles, and that they react substantially differently in crashes...along with the old saw about being trapped in case of a fire or water crash.

Only New York and New Jersey currently require seat belts on school buses. Legislation was proposed in 17 states last year, but was voted down.


Unless it has changed the body of the bus is just bolted on the frame and would be a ripped up mess if it took a big hit. How would a teacher react to releasing the belts of that many kids? Looks like an unsafe thing to me. Better count on the safe and serious drivers you have right now to protedt the kids.


How much bigger a hit could a bus take than the one that went over the side of I-565 in Huntsville a couple a years ago? The body did not separate from the frame in that crash.

I agree that seat belts are needed on buses. Modern technology could insure that the seat belts got released when needed, without the need for individual release.
After my experience riding a bus to school for years, I said my kids would NEVER have to do that. It was awful.

If only hardship cases rode the bus, the school systems could save a lot of money. There are some kids who would not be able to get to school otherwise. And there are some who ride the bus as a convenience to parents.

Does anyone know the history behind school systems having buses? It would be interesting to know when and why this started, and to compare those times and situations to now.
quote:
Originally posted by HomesickGirl:
After my experience riding a bus to school for years, I said my kids would NEVER have to do that. It was awful.

If only hardship cases rode the bus, the school systems could save a lot of money. There are some kids who would not be able to get to school otherwise. And there are some who ride the bus as a convenience to parents.

Does anyone know the history behind school systems having buses? It would be interesting to know when and why this started, and to compare those times and situations to now.


So what if it a convenience to parents. It is a service provided by the school system.

Furthermore, how would it save the school system money if only the poor kids rode the bus?

The history of the bus is, back in the days before most families had one automobile, much less three, kids that lived long distances had to have a way to school.
There's a few reasons that most school buses don't have seatbelts. Cost being only one of them.

First, school buses have proven themselves time after time to be the safest form of road transportation. The nature of their construction pretty much ensures that any collision with a car or light truck will not be disastrous. The passenger compartment is mounted high over the frame rails, well above the impact height of any car. The passengers are sitting 4 to 5 feet off the ground. The heavy duty consrtuction of the bus (reinforced body panels, rub rails, extra framing parts, 5-point seat anchors, reinforced roof, etc. pretty much act as an efficient rollcage in the event of impact/rollover. The seating itself is designed for 'compartmentalization'. High, close-together, heavily-padded, reinforced seatbacks ensure that passengers cannot travel far enough during a rapid deceleration event to reach a velocity high enough to cause injury on impact with a padded surface right in front/back of them. Gone are the lowback seats of the old days.
If I remember the certification class I took back in July-The instructor who showed us pictures of the bus wreck in Huntsville said that it happened because the driver was not wearing a seat belt. He said the driver was cut off by another car and somehow fell out of the driver's seat-losing control of the bus.

ALL school bus drivers (CDL drivers) are required to use seatbelts. Everywhere as far as I know. Just as when you drive your car, you are required to remain in front of the vehicle's controls under all driving conditions.

Another thing that makes school buses particularly safe is their sheer weight. 15 tons fully loaded is nothing to sneeze at. It's very stable. Cars and pickups just bounce right off of them. Very little short of trains and big trucks with larger mass or running up over a large obstacle can really upset them.
I have driven school buses for a living for the past 23 years in Connecticut and now Alabama. I have seen the impacts that buses can pretty much shrug off. They're tough-and they're designed from the chassis up with your kids' safety in mind.
Yes, seatbelts under certain conditions can make emergency evacuations extremely difficult if not outright impossible. Another problem with seatbelts on buses is more of a day-to-day one: They make really good weapons.
Yup. Lil' Johnny decides Mary's really a pain in the neck today, so he picks up what basically amounts to a mace that's attached to the seat he's in with a strong strap and twirls it around and lets that heavy buckle fly at Mary's skull. Got the idea? Good. Now multiply that by 72 or 80. Not the best scenario.

Then you have the belts that inevitably end up buckled ACROSS the aisles, tripping students and posing an emergency evacuation hazard.

Now imagine those 72 0r 80 kids hanging upside-down in a ditch. Or submerging in water. Or in a burning bus. Think YOU could get all of 'em unbuckled in time? I know better. Buckle yourself in your car and have somebody pull on your seabelt as hard as they can. Most belts will not release if there is tension on them. They're designed that way on purpose. Fire? It only takes about 3 1/2 minutes for a full-sized conventional school bus to burn from END to END. That means "Flames Coming Out Of All The Windows." Been there. Seen it happen a couple times.

Whether you need seatbelts pretty much depends upon whether you are the hockey puck (car) or the hockey stick (bus).

My professional opinion? Seatbelts in buses aren't worth the cost to install/maintain them. They'd actually hinder a quick evacuation, and there's NO substitute for a professional driver who actually CARES about the job he/she is doing.
quote:
Originally posted by HomesickGirl:
After my experience riding a bus to school for years, I said my kids would NEVER have to do that. It was awful.

If only hardship cases rode the bus, the school systems could save a lot of money. There are some kids who would not be able to get to school otherwise. And there are some who ride the bus as a convenience to parents.

Does anyone know the history behind school systems having buses? It would be interesting to know when and why this started, and to compare those times and situations to now.


Many kids drive their own cars now and they use a lot of gas, schools have to furnish parking lots. As far as when did Busses start. My Grandfather purchased a bus in 1915 from Adamson Ford in Bham. He contracted with Jefferson County to carry kids to school on his bus. In the summer he took out the seats and traveled in the Southeast with his family. All dirt roads and mudholes. He did continue to drive when the county acquired their own bus fleet. He retired in the 1950's and promptly mailed his license to the state. Bus transportation for schools has been around a long time.

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