lap belts on buses

jn__

New member
My K student is riding the bus... but the bus only has lap belts. Should I drive her? Complicating factor - the school is only 3 miles away and I wouldn't mind driving her or having my husband drive her, and I wouldn't even mind if she was on the bus for those 3 miles, however she gets on and the bus goes to pick up all the other kids, on a treacherous county route that I'm not comfortable with her in a lap belt.

I feel she's better off without the belt than she is WITH the belt but I can't get anyone to hear me. It would be much more convenient for her to be on the bus for the afternoon pickup part (which I think is a direct route)

WWYD? Should I let her go home on the bus but let my husband drop her off in the mornings? Or is the belt okay even though it's NOT okay in a car?

She's 5 and about 43 lbs and 40" tall. In my car she sits in a convertible still and in my husband's car I bought her a booster.
 
ADS

Evolily

New member
I would push for the school/bus company to either harness her (lap/shoulder or 5point) OR stop belting her. But I would still have her ride the bus in the interim. Why? Because 800 or so kids died in one year driving in vehicles to and from school. Only 7 children and 4 bus drivers died on school buses during that same period (of the 23.5 million children who ride the bus to and from school). The bus statistics includes transportation for field trips, after school activities, etc. The first figure does not include that.
 

jn__

New member
I actually asked the bus driver today if she could NOT wear the belt as I felt it was safer and she's bound by some rule, so I have to go over her but I'm not sure if that's the right thing to do or who I would even talk to about that. She'll be riding the bus for now but I'm still trying to gather up some info. I do not think that bus ever breaks 30 mph due to the route but I can't be sure... at least that makes me feel a LITTLE bit better.
 

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