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Posted: May 3, 2007

Bill Calls for Study of School Bus Seat Belts

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The North Carolina Senate wants to know if children would be safer on school buses if they wore seat belts.

Senators passed a bill Thursday directing the Child Fatality Task Force to study the installation and use of seat belts on school buses. Lawmakers want to know if seat belts will protect school bus riders during accidents.

Statistics show school buses are among the safest vehicles on the road when involved in accidents. But several emergency responders say seat belts can hinder efforts to get children off of buses quickly.

The bill, which now goes to the House, also calls for an estimate on how much it would cost to buy new buses with restraint systems and how much it would cost to refit old buses.

Copyright 2011 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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23 Comments


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Latest Comments
They could make a panel to alert the driver to a unfastened seat belt and where the location is. However as everyone stated, bad move as far as financially. As to turning the seats around, yeah that would make really good sense for the deliquents to have their way with bullying, sexual contact or anything that the driver cant see. Buses have worked this way for more years than anyone cares to mention. Upgrade what needs upgrade and if it doesn't need it leave it alone.
rainy39
May 5, 2007 3:55 p.m.
So another adult will have to be on every bus to make sure everyone has their belts on properly??.. Like that will happen. An improperly worn belt is more dangerous than no belt at all.
Mike128
May 4, 2007 5:21 p.m.
I just bought a couple of lottery tickets to supoprt this study! Ha... what a joke. I do hope these are winning tickets though!
Opinionated One
May 4, 2007 4:57 p.m.
if we are worried about the kids using seat belts as weapons we have a lot more to worry about than seatbelts
normalthinking
May 4, 2007 4:50 p.m.
As a bus driver, I feel that seat belts would just end up been used as a weapon by the other kids. Its hard enough making sure the kids don't beat up on each other as it is. What are you suppose to do when there is a k-1 child that can not un hook a seat belt. And what are you suppose to do, check each child when they get on the bus to make sure they put it on. That would mean holding traffic up even longer. And we got enough "people" now that try and beat the bus or just run right pass a stopped school bus.
mag
May 4, 2007 4:42 p.m.
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