The crash of a school bus carrying students from Hudson’s Bay High School on Monday clearly lands in the category of “it could have been worse.” No injuries were reported after the bus was sent partially down an embankment when it was hit by a car.
That was fortunate. But the incident also brings up the question that inevitably arises following a crash involving a school bus: Why don’t buses have seat belts?
Seat belts, after all, have been standard on passenger vehicles since 1968. Their use is required by adults in all states but New Hampshire, and every state requires seat belt use by minors. In most states, including Washington, failure to use a seat belt is a primary infraction, meaning a driver can be pulled over solely for violating that edict.
The increased use of seat belts has been credited as one of the major factors in reducing fatalities from auto crashes. In 1968 in the United States, there were 5.19 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled; by 2016, that had been reduced to 1.18 deaths. Because of this proven effectiveness, there are legitimate questions about why safety restraints are not included on school buses. The simplistic answer, experts say: They would not increase safety.
As the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has stated: “Large school buses are heavier and distribute crash forces differently than do passenger cars and light trucks … NHTSA decided that the best way to provide crash protection to passengers of large school buses is through a concept called ‘compartmentalization.’ ” Or, as the American School Bus Council puts it, “The children are protected like eggs in an egg carton — compartmentalized, and surrounded with padding and structural integrity to secure the entire container.”
Not that the debate has been closed. In 2015, the traffic safety administration reconsidered its policy and began calling for the addition of seat belts on school buses.
The idea has merit, but data show that buses already are the safest form of transportation for students traveling to and from school. One study found that buses nationally account for one-fourth of school trips but only 2 percent of children’s deaths in school-related traffic accidents. A study from the National Academy of Sciences found that “the overall potential benefits of requiring seat belts on large school buses were insufficient to justify a federal mandate for installation.”
Of course, any death or injury to a child in a school bus accident warrants further consideration of safety measures. From 2012 to 2015, according to The Columbian, there were 63 crashes involving school buses in Clark County. Those resulted in 30 injuries and no fatalities.
Some critics have questioned the cost of adding seat belts to school buses. According to MSNBC: “Separate studies by the NHTSA and the University of Alabama concluded that installing seat belts would add anywhere from $8,000 to $15,000 to the cost of a new bus while having little to no impact on safety.” While cost should not be a barrier when it comes to student safety, money must be spent wisely; some experts contend that funds could be better used on other safety measures. Meanwhile, there are doubts about students using seat belts and using them properly, as well as a child’s ability to get out of a seat belt in the event of a crash.
The goal for administrators and parents — and taxpayers — must be to enhance student safety to the utmost. Turns out, we’re already doing that.
