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From the Desk of Bill Cirone...
September 10, 1999
Average School Bus Safety Confirmed
Controversy continues regarding whether school buses should have safety belts.
Those who would like to see seat belts in buses argue that safety belts have dramatically reduced bodily harm to passengers in car accidents.
Those who oppose school bus safety belts point out that school bus fatalities have been extremely rare and many young lives have been saved followed bus accidents because the children were able to be evacuated quickly before a bus caught fire. They argue that seat belts could actually reduce safety in those instances.
A new study sheds further light on the issue.
Apparently, parents worried about the lack of safety belts in school buses are not improving their children's safety by driving them to school , according to an analysis of federal statistics released by Cal LeMon, an independent school bus safety advocate.
An average of 600 school-age children a year died in auto accidents during school hours from 1987 to 1997, according to the study. During that same time period, an average of 11 children died while riding in school buses that crashed.
About 24 million students ride school buses, or half of all school-age children, according to Jayne O'Donnell, writing in USA TODAY. Most other students ride in cars, although some walk, ride bikes, or take public transportation.
A survey financed by the government and the industry-backed School Bus Information Council found that one-third of parents believe incorrectly that driving their children to school is the safest way to get them there.
LeMon's report also shows that 21 states have some buses that were built before 1977, when many basic safety features, including high-back, closely spaced seats and padded interiors were federally required.
Here are some key facts about school bus safety:
New York, New Jersey, Florida and Louisiana require seat-belts on school buses. Bills requiring seat belts are pending in about 30 other states, including California.
Between 1987 and 1997, an average of 11 child passengers on school buses were killed in crashes. About 26 children a year have been killed near the bus, either hit by it or a car passing the bus illegally. About 600 school-age children each year were killed during school hours while riding in passenger vehicles other than a school bus.
Nearly 5,500 children under age 19 are killed each year as passengers in all other kinds of motor vehicles.
About half of school-age students ride on school buses today - the lowest percentage in history.
In 1977, well-padded, high-backed seats that are close together were required on all school buses. Buses built after 1992 must also have emergency exits, improved rear-view mirrors for the driver and arms that swing out to alert other motorists that children are getting on or off the bus.
No system of transportation is foolproof. Accidents will occur despite the best efforts of all involved. But it appears that the safety record among school buses can stand as a source of comfort for parents whose children ride them each day.
© Santa Barbara County Education Office
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