Should Seat Belts Be Required for School Buses?

While it may seem counterintuitive, school buses are actually the safest possible way to transport children to and from their place of education.

More than 25 million children across the nation are transported to school via public school bus each and every day. Approximately 50 percent of the nation’s K-12 population attends school via bus. Out of the 301 U.S. children killed in school bus-related incidents between 2006 and 2015, only 54 were school bus passengers.

The number of traffic incidences involving school buses is surprisingly low; when buses are involved in accidents, they’re also unlikely to be fatal. Buses use a technology called compartmentalization, which utilizes semi-enclosed seating space and high energy-absorbing seatbacks.

While compartmentalization is partially effective in cases involving rear-end and head-on collisions, there are concerns that it doesn’t protect passengers in cases of side-impact collisions. Because of these concerns, some states have passed laws that require school buses to install seat belts.

California, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Texas and Louisiana all require school buses to use seat belts. In addition to the safety benefits, some evidence suggests that seat belts on school buses can minimize disruptions and improve student behavior.

If you’re looking for a safe, effective way to transport students to a field trip or event, consider the benefits of working with a transportation service in Tacoma, WA.

Alternatives to school bus transport

Parents who would prefer to keep their children off of the school bus have a number of options that they can pursue, including the following:

• Personal vehicles: Many parents may choose to personally drive their children to school in their own cars. While this may seem like a safer alternative, personal vehicles are actually much more dangerous than school buses.
• Public transportation: Public transportation is an especially popular way for students to get to and from classes in many metropolitan areas. While public transportation can be a viable transportation solution for many students, it is substantially less safe than riding a bus for a variety of reasons.
• Walking and biking: If you live near the school that your students attend, walking and biking could be viable transportation options for many older students. Unfortunately, walking and biking carries their own sets of risks, because it requires children to travel alone and unsupervised.
• Transportation services: Hiring a professional transportation service in Tacoma, WA is likely one of the safest ways to ensure that your children reach their school safely and effectively. Transportation services use professional drivers and quality vehicles to deliver excellent, consistent results.

Since 1998, Around the Sound/TransPro has been a premier transportation service in Tacoma, WA. We’re proud to offer high-quality transportation solutions to clients of all sizes and needs. Whether you’re a school district in need of new transportation solutions for your entire student body or are a group of concerned parents hoping to get your children to their classes safely and more effectively, you can rely on us to provide you with workable, dependable solutions. Reach out to us today to learn more!

Categorised in: Transportation Service

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