Full sized school bus. Use lap belt or not?

monstah · May 19, 2011

I know this topic has been discussed before and I have searched and searched but am obviously using the wrong key words.

A regular, full sized school bus equipped with lap only belts.

I think I remember reading that average sized elementary school aged kids should rely on compartmentalization. Not a lap belt. Am I remembering correctly?

Asking because DS will be just turned 6 years old and >57 pounds when school starts in the fall, so this will impact him.

zactayaus · May 19, 2011

Well the kids in our elementary school don't have a choice. All kids (grades K-3) must put their seat belt on (lap belt). There is an aid on the bus that makes sure it gets done and helps anyone that still needs help. So I can't answer as to whether you are supposed to or not but it is mandatory on ds2's bus.

monstah · May 19, 2011

zactayaus said:
Well the kids in our elementary school don't have a choice. All kids (grades K-3) must put their seat belt on (lap belt). There is an aid on the bus that makes sure it gets done and helps anyone that still needs help. So I can't answer as to whether you are supposed to or not but it is mandatory on ds2's bus.

It may be required here too. We were told about the kids getting a tour of the bus and learning how to buckle up.... I didn't think to ask if it was required or not.

ketchupqueen · May 19, 2011

If it's not required, but there, some kids are going to buckle up and some are not. This is a bad situation...

I'd prefer to see all the kids not use the belts. But if some are and some aren't, that does different things to the loading of the seats, as well as the unrestrained kids potentially being projectiles to the restrained kids in, say, a side impact... Sigh.

Ideally, you convince the school district that lap belts are not safe and that either the kids must not use them, or they must fit all seating positions with EZ-On Y harnesses.

Jennifer mom to my 7 · May 19, 2011

Good luck with that one KQ. When they did the bus ride for K orientation, the kids put on the lap belts. But when school started no one uses them. I had this question and a short discussion with Kecia about it. I will see if I can find it.

In NY state, seat belts are required on school buses, and school buses are required to have harnessed seats for children under 4, unless they are over 40 pounds. Kecia has a blog post on school buses, too.

edit:

http://carseatblog.com/1919/the-great-debate-seatbelts-on-school-buses/

I think this is the thread you might have been thinking of:

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=139948&highlight=school+bus

ketchupqueen · May 19, 2011

Yeah, I'm not saying it's really realistic. Just ideal.

emy_lou · May 19, 2011

On the buses here.... There are NO seat belts what-so-ever. Except on the handy-caped buses

My LO is now 6, just getting out of K and she has to ride 24 miles one way to school... I HATE it, but theres nothing I can do to change it. If I was you, I would call the bus department and ask, just so you know for sure one way or the other

lpperry · May 20, 2011

So, if some are wearing lap belts and some are not, should we have our child wear the lap belt or not?

Jennifer mom to my 7 · May 20, 2011

lpperry said:
So, if some are wearing lap belts and some are not, should we have our child wear the lap belt or not?

And that is the thousand dollar question....

ketchupqueen · May 20, 2011

Yeah. The problem is if some are wearing them and some are not, we just don't know which is better.

It's not a good situation all around. I'd probably lean toward not wearing the lap belt just because lap belts can cause scary injuries.

Full sized school bus. Use lap belt or not?

monstah

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zactayaus

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monstah

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ketchupqueen

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Jennifer mom to my 7

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ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob

emy_lou

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lpperry

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Jennifer mom to my 7

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ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob

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