I’m torn about the use of seatbelts, however. A caller (former bus driver) on one of our local talk shows had a good point. When the 35W bridge in Minneapolis went down, a school bus went down with it. None of the children died because they were able to get out. Imagine a bus full of panicky children with the bus sinking in the water. No bus driver would’ve been able to cut them out of their belts in time without someone drowning. Yes, I realize that was a very unusual situation, but it did give me pause for thought. I imagine a fire would pose the same danger.
We have had our share of tragedy in Minnesota in the past year. It really burns me that this latest one was preventable. If the illegal perp wasn’t here, ignoring our laws, this wouldn’t have happened.
I’ve read the arguments against seat belts, too, and there are some valid points. But they would be just as valid for a vehicle a parent is driving. For example, when our children were small, I often worried that, if our vehicle slid into water or burst into flames, they would be restrained by the carseats and seatbelts. They’re older now, and I still worry about those things.
There are large families with 8, 10, or 12 children. I don’t think the law gives parents any leeway. That’s why I believe the real reason behind no-seatbelts on schoolbuses is cost. That was the original argument against seatbelts - it would be very costly to fit buses with them.
(For the record, we’d use seatbelts even if the law didn’t require them.)