Should Seat Belts Be On School Buses?
By: Garret Krier
Updated: May 21, 2012
A Springdale school bus filled with kids collided with a car Monday morning. Police say it happened this morning at Thompson and Robinson when the bus turned into oncoming traffic.
None of the 34 students on board were hurt. The bus only has minor damage.
Police say witnesses tell them the car had the right of way and the bus turned out in front of it.
Two people were in the car and at least one was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. Police say the bus driver could be ticketed in the crash. The investigation is ongoing.
This accident brings up the subject, should school buses have seat belts?
It is a question a lot of people have been asking for a long time. But you may want to think twice before saying you want kids to wear seat belts on school buses.
Bentonville Schools Director of Transportation Chris DeWitt says you should not fret. "It is still the safest form of transportation," said DeWitt. Monday, Dewitt showed KNWA around an average bus, and some of its safety features.
First he showed us the seats.
"The seatbacks themselves also collpase forward 6 inches so there is not a sudden impact where injuries are caused," said DeWitt. The height of the seats also plays a role.
"If a regular passenger vehicle rear ends our bus, the seats are so high you typically do not get the same impact as if you were on the same level," said DeWitt.
There are also some lesser known safety features. For instance each bus is yellow so it will stand out to drivers passing by. Also, almost every bus in Bentonville is equipped with GPS so drivers do not get lost and stay on track.
And each bus has cameras all over it, so if someone passes a bus while it is stopped and they are not supposed to, it is recorded.
As for those parents asking for seat belts on buses, DeWitt says it may not be such a good idea. "To monitor these students to make sure they are all buckled up would require a full time staff member walking up and down the aisles constantly," said DeWitt.
Plus DeWitt says in the event of an evacuation, seat belts would complicate things. He also says with the way the seatbacks are designed, belts would not be the best thing.
"If you have a student sitting in the backseat and the student in front of him is buckled in. If the student behind him is not buckled in, when we have an impact that seat is going to come forward and will smash the student in front of him," said DeWitt.
In the end, DeWitt says you should not worry because he says your kids are safe and sound on a school bus. "In reality students do not get hurt on buses very often. It is a very rare thing," said DeWitt.
None of the 34 students on board were hurt. The bus only has minor damage.
Police say witnesses tell them the car had the right of way and the bus turned out in front of it.
Two people were in the car and at least one was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. Police say the bus driver could be ticketed in the crash. The investigation is ongoing.
This accident brings up the subject, should school buses have seat belts?
It is a question a lot of people have been asking for a long time. But you may want to think twice before saying you want kids to wear seat belts on school buses.
Bentonville Schools Director of Transportation Chris DeWitt says you should not fret. "It is still the safest form of transportation," said DeWitt. Monday, Dewitt showed KNWA around an average bus, and some of its safety features.
First he showed us the seats.
"The seatbacks themselves also collpase forward 6 inches so there is not a sudden impact where injuries are caused," said DeWitt. The height of the seats also plays a role.
"If a regular passenger vehicle rear ends our bus, the seats are so high you typically do not get the same impact as if you were on the same level," said DeWitt.
There are also some lesser known safety features. For instance each bus is yellow so it will stand out to drivers passing by. Also, almost every bus in Bentonville is equipped with GPS so drivers do not get lost and stay on track.
And each bus has cameras all over it, so if someone passes a bus while it is stopped and they are not supposed to, it is recorded.
As for those parents asking for seat belts on buses, DeWitt says it may not be such a good idea. "To monitor these students to make sure they are all buckled up would require a full time staff member walking up and down the aisles constantly," said DeWitt.
Plus DeWitt says in the event of an evacuation, seat belts would complicate things. He also says with the way the seatbacks are designed, belts would not be the best thing.
"If you have a student sitting in the backseat and the student in front of him is buckled in. If the student behind him is not buckled in, when we have an impact that seat is going to come forward and will smash the student in front of him," said DeWitt.
In the end, DeWitt says you should not worry because he says your kids are safe and sound on a school bus. "In reality students do not get hurt on buses very often. It is a very rare thing," said DeWitt.
