|
|
Post by KW-Admin on Oct 5, 2007 15:27:15 GMT -5
Hello All! To my knowledge, New York,New Jersey,Florida, California,Louisianna, & Texas have laws on the books for School Bus Seat Belts. Ohio is considering a law for such & I was wondering if the state you reside in is considering mandating a law for School Bus Seat Belts.? Thank You & Take Care....Keith
|
|
|
|
Post by crazydriver on Oct 28, 2007 3:31:15 GMT -5
I dont know about the sealt belt laws here but I do know that the children are being video taped and are required to remain seated on thier rear's or the get a write up.
|
|
Grayson
New Member
Global Moderator
Posts: 2
|
Post by Grayson on Jan 7, 2008 19:06:22 GMT -5
Georgia currently doesnt have a seatbelt law. In my personal opinion, its not needed. And in once major sence, as we all know each other for something realated to them, is TRAINS. Imagine 70 kids on a regular school bus, all buckled up in seatbelts (Which would probably never happen) all trying to get up if they are stuck on the tracks? There is enough panicked already trying to get off the bus, but then you have people trapped on the bus because they cant get their seatbelts off fast. So, IMHO, they arent really needed.  |
|
|
|
Post by KW-Admin on Jan 8, 2008 16:29:53 GMT -5
Hello Grayson!
Seat Belts have saved lives on School Buses & prevented injuries also. School Buses are required to stop at RR Tracks & to look both ways before moving on. This is the law in many states in order to prevent a Bus from stalling out on the Tracks if a Train is approaching a Crossing. As stated above, some states do have Seat Belt laws for School Buses in place & they really do help. Take Care all.
|
|
|
|
Post by carpro1017 on Jan 16, 2008 19:38:16 GMT -5
Pennsylvania doesnt have any bus seatbelt laws(as far as i know) the small town that i live in you can do almost anything on the bus, and were even taped, so they arent very strict!
|
|
|
|
Post by KW-Admin on Jan 18, 2008 10:53:36 GMT -5
Hello All!
Some Parents do not even like for their kids to ride a Bus on account of the Fact that most of them do not even have Seat Belts at all. I think that someday all School Buses will have them due to all of the Bus Accidents that have been happening in the last 2-3 years. I'm sure some of the School's & Bus Companies will try to fight it like they have been for the past Forty Years or so by saying that Restraints on a Bus are too expensive or that they will be used as weapons on a Bus. If that is the case. then, expell the students from the Bus as they are actually a danger to the safety of other kids who are minding their own business & not causing trouble. This is my postiton on the above issue. Take Care.
|
|
|
|
Post by dietsunkist on Jan 22, 2008 22:33:42 GMT -5
I think school buses should have three point seat belts and the children be taught how to use them on their first bus ride. If there is a crash, with properly worn seat belts, the students will not Ping-Pong around the bus area. Worse yet, if the bus flips over and over down a hill (yes, I've seen videos of it happening) the students will not get thrown around like clothes in a washing machine and possibly ejected and die. Yes, I am a strong proponent of seat belts on buses.
|
|
|
|
Post by KW-Admin on Jan 23, 2008 10:30:39 GMT -5
Hello dietsunkist!
You are 100% right on this issue. School Buses should have three-point restraints for better protection & there is a company called IMMI Industries & they have a product line which includes Three-point Seat Belts for School Buses which offers much better protection on buses than a standard lap belt ever could. Like I posted before, someday Seat Belts will most likely be a requirement in all School, Charter, & Transit Buses due to all of the attention Bus Crashes have been getting in the past 2-3 years. To be honest, School Buses should have had Seat Belts installed way back when they first came out on the market in the 1950s. Take Care.
|
|
Grayson
New Member
Global Moderator
Posts: 2
|
Post by Grayson on Jan 30, 2008 19:25:03 GMT -5
Compartmentalization was introduced in 1967, setting the ideal seat back height at 28 inches (although most seat heights are now 24 inches tall). The premise was that surrounding passengers with cushioning to the front and behind provide effective constraint in the event of a collision.
Although not an element of compartmentalization, the UCLA researchers who conducted the 1967 tests on school buses concluded that after high back seats, next in importance to school bus passenger collision safety is the "use of a three-point belt, a lap belt or other form of effective restraint."
Very few school buses have seat belts, a standard safety feature in cars and light duty passenger vehicles. In 1977, as provided in Standard 222, the federal government required passive restraint and structural integrity standards for school buses in lieu of requiring lap seat belts. In the 1980s, some districts in the US tried installing lap belts and then later removed them, claiming operational and passenger behavior problems. Whether lap belts should be required remains very controversial, although they are now required in at least 4 states (New York, New Jersey, California and Florida). School buses in Texas will be required to be equipped with seat belts by 2010/2011.
However, only one state, New Jersey, requires seat belt usage.[citation needed] In other states it is up to the district whether to use seat belts or not.
Arguments Against Seat Belts
School buses have an excellent safety record, and are among the safest forms of travel despite not having seat belts. School buses are heavy and move slowly; in the event of an accident, it cannot experience that same drastic change in speed and direction as smaller automobiles do (see Newton's laws of motion). Hence passengers are not thrown from their seats as easily, unlike automobiles.
Most fatal injuries on school buses are of other types than those preventable by seat belts.Compartmentalization already provides an effective constraint system, and having seat belts is seen as a redundant system. At costs of $1500 per bus to install lap belts and more for 3-point belts, the money needed to supply seat belts can be better spent in other, more protective systems.
Lap belts can be unsafe for young children.In any case, seat belts are a hindrance in cases of rapid evacuation. Children can become unable to free themselves. On buses equipped with seat belts, users typically ignore the seat belts, and in some bus routes, there are more children per seat than seat belts. Some children may even swing the belt around at those near them, in which case the heavy metal buckle can be quite dangerous.
Arguments For Seat Belts
Arguments for seat belts generally come from concerned parents and teachers. The issue is on the agenda for the national PTA in Washington, although not a high priority at this time.
First, studies showing the ineffectiveness of seat belts on school buses are flawed. Some believe Standard 222 was doctored by the NHTSA to meet other agendas. Others point to the use of lap belts over three-point belts, frontal crash tests over side impact tests, and the lack of rollover tests. All of these would have significantly improved the performance of seat belts versus compartmentalization.
Second, cost effectiveness is always a controversial issue. Some parents would argue that even saving the life of one child justifies the increased costs of installing seat belts. Diminished seating capacity can be offset by purchasing additional buses, and safety should be a higher priority than saving money.
Third, three-point belt systems are promoted over lap belts, (lap belts which were criticized for causing injury to younger children). Studies have been conducted using three point belts by companies who manufacture them; these studies prove that the child's safety is greatly increased when using their product. (http://www.safeguardseat.com/) As to the issue of rapid evacuation, it can be argued that children wearing the seat belts are physically unharmed to begin with and therefore should be able to get themselves out. Finally, drivers will be forced to enforce the wearing of seat belts as part of the legislation.
|
|
|
|
Post by KW-Admin on Feb 1, 2008 10:04:02 GMT -5
Hello Grayson! I still feel that seat belts would be a benefit in a bus crash as opposed to no restraints at all! And I'm sure others feel this way too. Take Care & have a nice day. |
|
|
|
Post by dietsunkist on Apr 19, 2008 21:56:20 GMT -5
To negate the disadvantage of seat belts hindering evacuation, you could have accident sensors (much like airbag sensors) around the bus. If a sufficient crash is detected the seat belts would auto release 6-8 seconds after the last sensor pulse to provide protection during the crash, but aid post-crash evacuation.
|
|
|
|
Post by KW-Admin on Apr 21, 2008 15:00:57 GMT -5
I can just imagine the School Boards & Bus Companies would complain that the Seat Belts & Sensors would be too expensive & only save a few lives per year!   This is why most buses have no seat belts due to $$$$$$$. Your idea is worthy of merit though & hopefully someday it will happen. You should be a safety consultant after High School, Jim. You & Josh sure come up with some excellent ideas. Take Care. |
|
This is why most buses have no seat belts due to $$$$$$$. Your idea is worthy of merit though & hopefully someday it will happen. You should be a safety consultant after High School, Jim. You & Josh sure come up with some excellent ideas. Take Care.