No Seat Belts On School Buses??? Are You Kidding?

[skychief]

It always bugged me about the lack of seat belts on school buses. Even when I was a kid. I mean, these kids are our most precious resource, right? Why deny them the use of a simple safety device which the NTSB has mandated for all passenger vehicles?

I have 3 stepchildren (who are now adults). I had a conversation with my youngest stepdaughter who has a 5 year old son who will soon be attending public school. They live a mile and a half from the school, so he will be taking the bus. I asked her if it bothered her that there's no restraint devices on school buses. She said it didnt bother her.

I'd never put my own child in/on any vehicle that didnt have seat belts.

Would you?

[jmattbassplaya]

You know this has been a common thing for decades now, right?

[Bert Slide]

You want to give those little cretins webbing straps they can strangle each other with?

[LAG]

School buses are one of the safest vehicles on the road, even without seat belts.

[Meyatch]

Originally Posted by Bert Slide

You want to give those little cretins webbing straps they can strangle each other with?

I suspect that's exactly the reason they aren't on there. If they had the old school strap with giant metal buckle on the end, they would be a nasty flail as well.

[MatticusMania]

My bus never had seat belts. I hit my head on the seat in front of me when the driver slammed on the brakes. It hurt. I had a bump.

[Skeeter1]

Originally Posted by MatticusMania

My bus never had seat belts. I hit my head on the seat in front of me when the driver slammed on the brakes. It hurt. I had a bump.

That's how our bus drivers "resolved conflict" back in the day. Kind of hard to beat some kid out of his lunch money when the driver stomps the brake decreasing momentum from 50 MPH to 0 in 3 seconds and you are tumbling head over heals down the isle.

[Bass_Thumper]

Never had them on any bus I ever road on and I think that's just fine. I don't think anyone would want to wear one on a city bus either for that matter.

[SoonerMatt]

We didn't need seatbelts, the seats were so close together that in the event of a wreck you'd only be lunged forward 6 inches max.

[MatticusMania]

Originally Posted by SoonerMatt

We didn't need seatbelts, the seats were so close together that in the event of a wreck you'd only be lunged forward 6 inches max.

And bump your head.

[Pilgrim]

Having seat belts is one thing - wanting or being willing to use them is another. Within a day or two they'd all be stuffed down so far into the seats you couldn't reach them.

Your kids are much more likely to get hit crossing the street while holding *your* hand than they are to get hurt in a school bus collision.

[bluesblaster]

When I was a kid they had molded hard plastic seats, not the high back 4" cushion jobs they have today. And yeah, you would bump your head it would leave a bump. Many short buses have seatbelts.