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Old 04-07-2009, 02:09 AM
 
Location: Michigan
29,391 posts, read 55,427,127 times
Reputation: 22042

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Sep. 1--All Missouri school buses could be equipped with lap-shoulder seat belts within the next decade under a plan Gov. Matt Blunt announced Wednesday.

"We have an opportunity to reduce the risk of death or injury on school buses," Blunt said during an appearance at Ridgeview Elementary School in Liberty, "and I think we should seize upon it."

Governor Proposes to Equip Missouri School Buses With Lap-Shoulder Seat Belts - Education - redOrbit
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Old 04-07-2009, 10:16 PM
 
Location: Midwest
9,255 posts, read 11,006,117 times
Reputation: 17556
I'm wondering why it's taken almost 50 years to do this.

I thought all our politicians cared so much about "the children."

Bus seats are head-snappers, though. They will need headrests to preclude whiplash injuries.
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Old 04-08-2009, 06:28 AM
 
Location: Metro Washington DC
15,395 posts, read 25,663,648 times
Reputation: 10394
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dwatted Wabbit View Post
I'm wondering why it's taken almost 50 years to do this.

I thought all our politicians cared so much about "the children."

Bus seats are head-snappers, though. They will need headrests to preclude whiplash injuries.
They took this long because school buses have a pretty good safety record. There won't be headrests because they mostly have very high-back seats. How are they going to ensure the kids buckle up or stay buckled in? The driver has to drive. Will they put an adult monitor on every bus to make sure the kids are buckled in?
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Old 04-08-2009, 03:31 PM
 
Location: Apple Valley Calif
7,474 posts, read 22,823,943 times
Reputation: 5682
Quote:
Originally Posted by dkf747 View Post
They took this long because school buses have a pretty good safety record. There won't be headrests because they mostly have very high-back seats. How are they going to ensure the kids buckle up or stay buckled in? The driver has to drive. Will they put an adult monitor on every bus to make sure the kids are buckled in?
You are correct. The reason it's not done is two fold. First, it will cost a fortune to install belts in a fleet of buses. What is the number, 60 or so on each bus..?
Extremely expensive.
Second, no one is going to wear them, and no one to make sure they do and lastly, rather than being worn properly, they will be used to whack your fellow passangers.... Kids can be very creative..!
It's not practical at all...! I bet it never happens in Missouri. After a few years of debating, it will fad away...
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Old 04-08-2009, 04:19 PM
 
Location: Kansas
3,855 posts, read 13,232,778 times
Reputation: 1734
Are any other states taking the same measure?
Do other states have seatbelt requirements for school buses?
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Old 04-08-2009, 09:18 PM
 
Location: Midwest
9,255 posts, read 11,006,117 times
Reputation: 17556
Cost is no object to government officials.

Cost vs. lives lost and injuries sustained is definitely an issue for parents and guardians.

Certain cars, like Buick Centurys, have excellent safety records too. Maybe they shouldn't have seat belts.

That argument just doesn't hold water.
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Old 04-08-2009, 10:12 PM
 
4,709 posts, read 12,629,654 times
Reputation: 3813
This is complete nonsense. I drive a school bus as my retirement gig.

School buses use what's called "compartmentalization"...which is very high back seats, the backs of which are well padded for a sort of coccoon effect. IF the students stay in their seats and out of the aisle they are well protected. Year after year, school buses are statisically the safest vehicles on the road, by far.

I don't think even assigning an attendant (never happen) to every bus could ensure that students are belted in....no way the driver could. I can't even see what they're doing past a few rows back (my bus is 40 feet long, rated for 78 little kids or 52 big kids. Anybody advocating seat belts in a school bus have never been on a bus with 52 middle schoolers! The very idea is RIDICULOUS!

Our buses do have lap belts on the first 6 rows of seats...mostly for car seats, or a kid that wants to wear one (in 5 years, I've never had a single kid ask to use one). Actually, I have to conceal those seat belts between the seat cushions to keep students from hitting each other with the buckles....I've had blood drawn and teeth knocked out on the bus from that. Or they will stetch them across the aisle on the floor, then they'll raise them to trip students that are boarding or disembarking.

Believe me, seat belts on school buses would be a colossal waste of money and would be abandoned in days.
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Old 04-09-2009, 03:49 AM
 
Location: Poway, CA
2,698 posts, read 12,124,905 times
Reputation: 2251
not that it's a topic i am very passionate about, but i say put the seatbelts in. if the kids don't decide to use them, well, that's a little thing we like to call Darwinism............

Mike
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Old 04-09-2009, 09:36 AM
 
Location: Apple Valley Calif
7,474 posts, read 22,823,943 times
Reputation: 5682
school districts can hardly afford to put fuel in the buses, the teachers are all getting pink slips, and you guys advocate spending a very large fortune to install seat belts..? It's a stupid idea, and it will NEVER happen, anywhere...
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Old 04-09-2009, 10:21 AM
 
605 posts, read 2,980,891 times
Reputation: 538
Who is going to enforce that all children are buckled in and remain buckled in? That will require an attendant every couple rows! And with children of all different sizes, you'd need more extra people who just walk around and adjust seat belts after every stop! Can you imagine kindergartners trying to buckle in when the last students transported were the high school football team?
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