School Bus Accident --

[herefordlovinglady]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100805/ap_on_re_us/us_school_bus_accident

 

[Whispering Winds]

How awful, we lost a wonderful farm family from Bond County right at that area too, on their way to Six Flags. The little boy was the only one that survived, and we were just devastated for him. He is a teenager now. That is a deadly area there, lots of bad accidents and a semi is almost always involved. Can't stop in time because of the way the road is set up, is how it use to be, but i thought they had corrected the problem. Hope there aren't anymore serious injuries.

 

[redhen]

Are there seat belts in busses yet?

 

[Rachel's Hobby Hatchery]

I am listning to it on the news right now, it is so sad

no there are not seat belts on busses because they are afraid that if anything happens (like if the bus catches fire) the kids wont be able to undo there seatbelts in time to save themselfs, It makes sence if you think about it. especally for the younger kids who will panic if anything happens.

 

[PineappleMama]

Not down here. We've got seatbelt laws out the wazoo... and car seats too... that just changed... used to kids over 5 weren't required by law to be in a car seat or booster anymore. Now kids have to be in a car seat to this height/weight/age and then a booster from then until they turn 9 (or certain pounds)... which given the obesity problem means some kids are going to be out of the car seat YEARS before others... but the belt will still be hitting them at throat level because they're short (but fat)... which was supposedly the whole point in making the short 8 and under kiddos sit in the things in the first place. That was approved/started Sept 1st, NO NOTICE TO PARENTS I MIGHT ADD, schools knew NOTHING about it... I griped at the PTA enough that they sent a note home but the schools did nothing. Anywho, you could get pulled over from Sept 1st, but only given warnings until the official start date in I think July. Needless to say there was a SCRAMBLE for boosters... all the Kinder, First and Second graders ALL needed one... bit weird for a while. And it put a weird crimp in carpooling to/from school because every parent had to have enough boosters for all the kids, not just their own. Oh and have you ever tried fitting three car seats/booster seats into one back seat? NOT easy... at least on ends up at an angle and thus isn't a stable foundation at all.

Oh and they also added the rule that no one under 9 (I think?) can sit in the front seat. Airbags you know. We were pulled over, random Insurance Check roadblock, before this new bit went into effect and he tried to lecture me on that... Took three tries before he finally heard me say "This is a 92 vehicle... only airbag is in the driver's side... so there's no risk of an airbag popping out and hitting my passenger"... but eventually he got it. But now that's a law as well... even if you don't have an airbag, kids under 9 (may be 10 but DS was already past that) can't be up front. THAT tidbit caused a panic for all the parents who drive (non-ext cab) trucks... THEY ONLY HAVE A FRONT SEAT... so any child, under 9, riding in that vehicle at all is a ticket waiting to happen.

So... yeah, we have all these car seat, booster seat, seat belt, where you can sit at what age laws but not one of them applies to vehicles that carry DOZENS of children. No, I take that back... a seat belt is provided and required for the DRIVER.

 

[tinychicky]

as a school-age kid, i even agree that busses should have seatbelts!

 

[PineappleMama]

I understand the panic thing... I do... but the vast majority of school bus accidents are "small"... as in kids get tossed all over the place, but aren't going to drown, burn, etc. Kinda like regular vehicles... most are fender benders... and that's the logic behind seat belt laws... that that kind of situation is SO rare that you have to make laws that cover the most common.

Bus seat backs are padded for the back of the person sitting on them, but the back side is just that vinyl stuff over metal frames... it is NOT fun to get slammed into... crazy bus driver we had was constantly sending us flying up, forward, back... heck in a few really rough rides some of slid UNDER the seat in front of us... all preventable with a seat belt.

I donno... maybe they could come up with something like Six Flags has... where the Conductor hits the lever and all the belts/bars come down... and when at the school they all come up? That's fix the panic threat... and still keep kids from flying every which way.