Why is it that our childrens school buses don have seat belts?
This question crops up on this site with a fair amount of regularity, but it’s still a fair question. I will give the same answer I have given many times before. I have 5 kids in school and, of course, I care about their safety on buses, so this is a topic and question that I have researched thoroughly over the past 8 months. Here is what I have found… Everyone tends to say the cost is the a main reason buses don’t have belts. And while I agree funding could certainly be a factor, consider the following. Neither lap nor lap-and-shoulder belts on a bus provide the same type of protection offered in a car. During a head-on collision, the most common type for buses, lap belts alone can increase the risk of injury. On impact, this type of restraint allows a passenger’s head to jerk forward, risking severe head and neck injury. Lap AND shoulder belts would require the installation of stiffer seats. These seats could become a source of impact injury. Studies also showed that children can s
