You're rationalizing. Just because school bus seats are taller, padded and closer together doesn't doesn't mean that they wouldn't be safer with seat belts. I believe on average about 10 kids die each year on school buses and thousands are injured.
The idea is that this way is safer than seat belts because (a) many school-aged children on a bus would not use the seat belt properly anyway, and
The ones who do use seat belts would be safer.
(b) in the event of a serious accident (especially involving fire) the time spent cutting kids out of seat belts could lead to further (and more serious) injuries.
Well if that's true(and I don't think that it is)then the same argument could be made for kids in cars and passengers in police vans.
Police van driver to judge: You're honor, I didn't buckle in the passengers because...in the event of a serious accident (especially involving fire) the time spent cutting kids out of seat belts could lead to further (and more serious) injuries.
Oh, I agree that school buses should have seat belts. I was just explaining the current rationale for why they are not required.