Did you know that there are over 730 school districts in New York State and only 20 of them are required to have students wear lap belts? Yet adults and children that ride in a car must wear them. Does a child’s safety shift somewhere between a car or a school bus? No. Therefore the logic behind this law has many concerned about the safety of their child.
In districts where it is not mandatory for a child to wear a seat belt it is up to the child to decide whether or not they want to wear it. This leaves the safety of a child riding on a school bus within their own hands and not an adult.
Albany has protected this law by deeming it’s more important that school buses are made big enough to keep children seatbelts have little relevance to their safety. Perhaps that’s because New York State school buses are still using lap belts that aren’t as protective as a 3 point shoulder belt. There’s also been talk that there’s no one to ensure that a child is strapped in so if they do get hurt than who is responsible for it? Seems no one wants to take blame.
New Jersey on the other hand has enforced that all children wear a 3-point shoulder belt. This law was put into effect after a tragic school bus accident in May. The children were wearing lap belts which is said to be better than nothing but students were still killed in the accident.
Thankfully New Jersey promptly changed it’s law but Albany is still staggering behind and it doesn’t seem like changes are on the way.
“It might be safer for kids, but we still have to argue through the logistics,” said Mannella of the NY State Association for Pupil Transportation. “It’s not the industry saying we don’t like seatbelts. Give us a chance to figure this out and the cost of them. It could be 10-12 thousand dollars more on a 120 thousand dollar bus already.”
If parents can’t depend on the law to make buses safer for children right now than the next best step is to contact your child’s school and find out what their bus regulations are. Also, contact your councilman to push for this law to be changed and explain the urgency for 3-point seat belts.
In the meantime make sure you have discussed the importance of school bus safety with your child such as wearing their lap belt.
Other factors that are important to discuss with your child is the necessity to stand at least six feet away from the curb when they are waiting for the bus. Show them how far six feet is from the curb. Tell them that they should never walk right behind a school bus or in front of it. A bus driver might not have clear visibility of your child. If your child drops something on the bus tell them not to bend down to pick it up until the bus comes to a complete stop. Last but not least, children should never stand up waiting for the bus to stop at their destination. Have them sit until it is time for them to exit.
