Connecticut Is the Latest State to Join the Debate on Whether or Not Seat Belts Should Be Required on School Buses
A school bus crash in Hartford, Connecticut last weekend, resulting in the tragic death of a teenager, brought further attention to the topic of equipping school buses with seat belts. The topic engenders a debate between those who argue seat belts would cost too much versus the safety concern for protecting children. The school bus industry is quick to point out that school buses are already among the safest vehicles on the road due to the compartmentalizing of the occupants and argue that school buses are approximately 7 times safer than passenger cars and trucks. Many experts, as well as product liability lawyers (including this writer) demand that legislators take a closer look at requiring seat belts on school buses.
It is interesting to note that small school buses with gross vehicle weight of less than 10,000 lbs. are required to be equipped with lap/shoulder belts at all designated seats. However, the school bus industry points out that lap belts have been proven to cause abdominal injuries in crash victims. Whenever a crash occurs where a student is killed due to the lack of seat belts, the school bus industry is quick to claim that it is an isolated tragedy. The truth is that every time a child is lost, the loss could have been prevented by the use of a seat belt installed for minimal cost. This truth is added to the fact that bus drivers have seat belts and are required to wear them. The cost benefit and responsibility analysis must be made and in this writer’s opinion all school buses should have seat belts on all new models and such belts should be retrofitted to all older models.
At the Philadelphia school bus accident law firm of Reiff & Bily, we have over 30 years experience investigating and litigating catastrophic school bus accidents and car accidents. We are committed to promoting the rights of motorists and consumer safety.
