2SAFESCHOOLS NOTES

Should America's big yellow school buses have seat belts?

BY JAMES KRAEMERThe big yellow school bus seat belt issue is one 2safeschools began to explore over six months ago. It was soon realized there may be more emotion (even heated frustration) than fact involved in this issue.

One concept persistently proposed as fact, is the opinion that seat belts would seriously injure kids (snap spines, etc.) in a bus crash.

Such hasn't happened in states and school districts requiring the use of belts on their school buses. A virtual endless parade of physicians and other individuals and groups insist seat belts would dramatically reduce injuries, especially in roll-overs and in keeping kids from ejecting out the bus.

• Ejections account for one-fourth of all fatalities, according to the National Transportation Safety Board and the National Highway Transportation Safety Association.

The reality is seat belts have been attributed to protecting kids from serious injury, especially in school bus roll-over accidents. However, there's no hard data on this for large school buses.

• A report from Nassau County, New York about a roll-over accident involving a small, van-type bus, noted that 4 to 7 year-olds' were able to unbuckle themselves and escape without panic.

• In Montana, police were relieved to find kids giggling and unharmed after a kindergarten bus roll-over earlier this school year. Some unbuckled themselves while others had remained buckled.

• Brittany Gaddis (8) was one of the survivors in the Monday 3/27/00 Georgia-Tennessee school bus/train crash. She was the only child wearing her seat belt and sat in one of the first four rows. Brittany was slambed around within her seating compartment and apparently remained conscious the entire time. "Carrying only some bruises from the seat belt she was wearing, Brittany was home from the hospital Wednesday (3/29), soaking up hugs, gifts, and pizza," the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

What if the bus catches fire?

Another non-issue. A school bus catching fire is a very rare event, even in a crash. When a fire does occur on a school bus the answer is the same as anywhere else - unbuckle and get out! Unconscious kids are unconscious - seat belt or not - and require assistance.

They will not fit or too inconvenient.

Again, probably a non-issue or one that can be overcome. Belts are adjustable and where workable assigned seats can help with convenience. The Safe-T-Bar approach is an alternative concept that may also help with convenience.

Some kids will use them as weapons.

This is a reasonable issue and along with passenger compliance issues, is one most likely to be overlooked or ignored by legislators.

Georgia parent and President of the Coweta Association of Educators, Carol Corbitt's, son was attacked by a four year old with a belt buckle. "He wears the scar, and two other children have scars given out by the same student," Corbitt said in a June 16 (99) e-mail to 2safeschools.

Corbitt explained that a bus monitor, (an adult on board to help with the kids), was on the bus when each assault was committed by a four year foster care student. "He was already involved with Psychologists, Social Workers, etc., and this student was and will be transported daily from Foster Care to School. That will always be the case and there is no program or movement by Parents that will stop the State from sending this type of student to be educated and transported by school bus," Corbitt said.

• Padding the metal parts might ease or prevent injury if some kids attempt to use the belts as weapons.

Probably one of the biggest issues among school bus drivers against seat belts is who's responsible to insure the kids buckle up?

• In the State of New York seat belts are required, but buckling up is not required. The compliance rate averages about 30 percent.

Where required to buckle up, the driver is usually responsible to enforce compliance and write up students refusing to follow directions. In other school districts drivers have the authority to refuse to transport students refusing to follow directions, including refusing to buckle-up.

How well compliance would work out in your school district can be somewhat determined by how important expectations are managed now.

One of the least expensive safety measures is adults insuring appropriate mainstreaming of students, and effective consequences for passengers refusing or otherwise incapable of safe conduct on the buses.

• 30% of our nation's school bus accidents are a result of driver distraction, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

  How much of that distraction is attributed to out-of-control kids permitted to continue riding the buses is not known. Surprising as it may be, there's no hard data on this issue. School bus drivers tell 2safeschools that 'most' is adequate.

How are kids to buckle-up in states that allow the "Capacity+20% Rule" on their school buses?

This seat belt/safety restraint dilemma came from another Georgia parent, grandparent and 12 year veteran bus driver, Debbie Moore. Moore advised 2safeschools that Georgia uses the manufacturers recommended capacity and the "Capacity+20% rule" recommendation as policy to increase bus capacity and cut costs. A "difficult job becomes doubly so when you can't even get to the back of the bus if needed, plus the distraction from the road is enormous," Moore said.

10 states permit standing on their school buses.

• This arrangement could work where (1) the bus speed limit is 20 MPH or less and no talking is permitted when above seated (and buckled) capacity; (2) Students departing first board last; and (3) the first few stops are closeby and include adequate student departures to return the bus within safe seating (seated and buckled) capacity.

  Otherwise, the "Capacity+20% Rule" is a decision based on a blatant attempt at cost cutting which utterly defeats compartmentalization safety features on school buses. -JK's opinion.

This brings us to the greatest safety measure of all. The adults involved.

The power to enforce safety is greatest among parents, bus drivers and other school staff working together to help keep kids safe. Directing the bureaucracy appears more effective than saying nothing and hoping the regulators will somehow eventually figure it out.

• The failure of too many regulators and school districts, to keep the safety of children as the top priority, has compromised childrens' safety in a variety of nationwide school related issues. -JK's opinion

The perfect answer, seat belts or not, is for the school bus not to crash. Be that as it may, when an accident occurs, the past six months of study appears to support that kids and bus drivers fair better when buckled-up. For this reason, 2safeschools does not object to the use of padded seat belts, Velcro style restraints or Safe-T-Bars on the large yellow school buses when:

• They are installed on "new equipment," and only installed on older equipment when possible to install without expensive modifications;
  
• When installed their use is also required;
  
• Bus drivers are assured, by law and enforceable regulation, the authority to refuse to transport students refusing to follow directions, including the direction to buckle-up and remain buckled as required;
  
• Effective penalties are established for students (as well as school districts) failing to enforce safe and appropriate use of the passenger restraint equipment by students riding the school buses.

James Kraemer
2safeschools

2safeschools Update: Florida and California join New York and New Jersey to require seat belts on their school buses. Florida Gov. Jeb Bush signed the bill mandating seat belts on all new large school buses purchased in Florida after Dec. 31, 2000. House Bill 1837 passed through the House and Senate April 30 (99). On June 8, Bush signed it into law.

In California a bill, requiring new school buses purchased for use after Jan. 1, 2002, have seat restraints, was signed into law by Gov. Gray Davis in early October, despite the NTSB study that alleged the devices provide no protection for schoolchildren and could even be harmful in severe collisions.

Parents take charge
Santa Fe, New Mexico: A group of parents began a two-month campaign in late June to raise $500,000 to install seat belts in Santa Fe Public Schools buses. Santa Fe would become the first school district in the nation with every bus outfitted with lap-and-shoulder seat belts. The parent group has already raised about $19,000 for the first three buses. The push for seat belts came after a fatal bus crash near Santa Fe on March 02, 1999. The National Transportation Safety Board blamed the crash on brakes that failed because they hadn't undergone routine maintenance. Update - Aug 12 (99)

(2safeschools seat belt opinion, Rev. 04/07/00)

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