The debate of seat belts on the school bus

Editorial | October 5th, 2016

“Six States--California, Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, and Texas—require seat belts on school buses.” According to www.cga.ct.gov.

Upon checking out ghsa.org we found out that seatbelt laws are divided into two categories-primary and secondary. 34 states in the US have primary seat belt laws meaning officers of the law can pull over a driver for not wearing a seatbelt with no other offenses (buckle up Minnesotans -- this could mean a $100 fine). It is the law that both passengers in the front and back seats wear their seat belts. The fines of passengers under 15 are the responsibility of the driver--those over 15 fend for themselves.

15 states including North Dakota have secondary seat belt laws meaning you only get a ticket if you are getting pulled over for a different violation. Buckle up butter cups or you could end up with an extra $25 tacked onto your ticket. Seat belts are only required for passengers in the front seats no matter what age you are. Though in North Dakota all occupants younger than 18 must be properly restrained no matter where they are seated in the vehicle.

As far as children are concerned, North Dakota’s seat belt law according to www.nd.gov is:

Children under 7 years of age must be in an approved safety restraint; however, children under 7 years of age who are at least 57 inches tall (4' 9") and weigh 80 pounds or more may use a seat belt.
A child weighing more than forty pounds may use only a lap belt if the vehicle is not equipped with lap and shoulder belts or if all lap and shoulder belts are in use by other occupants. (This is because booster seats require both a lap and shoulder belt.)
Children ages 7 to 17 must be properly secured in a seat belt or child restraint.

In the recent school bus accident in West Fargo, fortunately there were no injuries...this time. Let us not forget the tragic collision in Larimore last year in which a 17 year old student as well as the driver perished. 10 of the 12 students were injured, but then again the question arises, would a seat belt have helped in an accident that severe?

In order to provide school buses with seat belts, the estimated cost is $7500, assuming the district is equipped with a fleet of buses. To break it down, take the 72 standard spots on a bus, and each restraint would cost around $100. How much were the medical bills of each student injured in Larimore? More than likely a lot more than $100.

Federal school bus seat belt requirements are dependent upon bus size. According to www.cga.ct.gov, “The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which sets national standards for school bus safety, requires seat belts on school buses weighing less than 10,000 pounds, but does not require seat belts on larger school buses, which comprise more than 80% of the nation's school bus fleet. However, individual states and school districts can require buses weighing 10,000 pounds or more to have seat belts.”

If state law requires children “ages 7-17” to be properly restrained in vehicles of 10,000 pounds or less--why have school buses been exempt for so long--why the hypocrisy?

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