Seat belts click onto school buses
Bus drivers expressed their concerns to the National Education Association that students would use metal on seat belts to harm others. They were also worried that in an emergency, young children would not have time to unbuckle their belts. They also worry children will not keep their buckles fastened and the belts will injure them in an emergency.
Car crashes are threats that people generally do not think will affect their lives, until they do. Then it is too late.
On Friday morning, a car crashed into one of the Montgomery Elementary School buses. All who were involved in the crash were fine, but the event only adds to the argument that seat belts are needed on buses.
Recently national transportation officials have made the announcement that seat belts are necessary on every school bus in the country.
Freshman Taylor Miller said “Yes, seat belts are necessary. One person is in charge of driving kids safely. When putting that much trust on one driver, kids need a seat belt for extra protection. It is exactly like having a seat belt in a car.”
When considering the safety benefits of seat belts, students agreed that all schools need them on buses.
When asked if she thought seat belts were needed, freshman Katie Good said “I’d say yes. There are some extreme stops or crashes that occur and can seriously injure someone who is not wearing a seatbelt.”
Seat belts definitely come at a cost, though. Installing seat belts into every seat on every bus in the entire country would not be a cheap or easy task.
However, attorney James W. Pauley wrote an article that said “installing seat belts on school buses should cost only approximately 10 cents per day, per seat, which appears more reasonable than $7,000–$11,000 per bus.”
It is understandable that safety officials are so passionate about seat belts, but there is one question that needs to be answered; are they worth the cost?
