Anyone live in a state where buses have seat belts?

AtTheSouthDam

New member
I was reading the paper today and noticed that we have a bill going through that requires seat belts on all buses purchased after July 2010 (This is in Colorado). It has already passed the house (or senate, I was never good at politics) and is waiting on the other. It looks like it may go through.

So I was wondering how other states deal with the tiny kids in school buses with seat belts. Do they worry about submarining? Could the seat belt cause more damage then the "compartments" they say keep them safe?

I am not worried about DD2 she will be nearing 60 lbs and over 48" by the time it goes into effect. But my little one will only be 37 lbs, if she stays one her growth curve, when she starts kindergarten so I was curious how others have dealt with it or if they have more info.
 
ADS

mygirlkat74

New member
The one thing I worry about with car seats on school buses since I was a Bus driver before I had my two kids. Was in case of a fire or crash, you have to get the kids off the bus in under 4 minutes. And, most buses carry 60+ kids on there, there is no way they could get the belts off in time. ESP. Because most kids will panic. Plus, I have heard of incidents where seat belts on buses was used as weapons and to hit other kids.

We didn't have them on the regular buses but had them on the special needs, but the special needs kids do need them, and usually all special needs buses has a monitor on there to help the kids with the seat belts. I was a monitor for two years then a driver for two years.
 

zactayaus

Well-known member
We have seat belts on our school buses and the kids must put them on. No exceptions. DS2 is in kindergarten and weighs 38lbs. I was a little leary about the whole riding the bus thing because at the start of the school year he had never even rode in a booster let alone just a seat belt. It is just one of those things though. You just have to have faith that they will be fine. It does get easier as the school year progresses and you just get more comfortable with the whole thing. I'd rather them be seat belted in than not.
 

Pixels

New member
When I rode the bus, over 15 years ago, the busses had belts, but we were not allowed to use them. They were buckled and tighted as far as they could go to keep them neat, and in the bight so it didn't get sat on. I actually got yelled at by the driver for using it.
 

AV8ERZ

New member
Hi! Our school system (Northern California) received two school busses this year with seat belts, Three of my god children ride this bus on occasion, The bus driver told me because the new busses have seat belts all passengers are required to use them, no exceptions.

Now for the first two weeks the driver had an assistant on board. My god daughter said it was to assist with teaching the kids how too properly use them and according to my 14 yo god daughter the assistant has not been on the bus the last few weeks which did concern me.

As an airline pilot I am aware that fire and compartmentalization do not mix and scares me, I wasn’t worried the first few weeks with the assistant there but now it has been on my mind. I like the fact that my god children ride one of two busses with seatbelts and the fact our state is trying to make passenger travel safer.

BUT in an incident with that many children and those many seatbelts do deal with, Is it safer?
 

skiersnowboarder3

Senior Community Member
Some of the older buses here have a few seatbelts on them, not on every seat. They're only lapbelts though, which IS worse than the compartmentalization. I never used one that I recall. At least not regularly.
 

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