Bill Calls for Study of School Bus Seat Belts

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.