Seatbelts on school buses

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From the Couriermail click here!

Seatbelts optional on school buses on all but 88 gazetted 'steep routes' in Queensland

Seatbelts optional on school buses on all but 88 gazetted 'steep routes' in Queensland

    by: Robyn Ironside, Tanya Chilcott
    From: The Courier-Mail
    June 12, 2012 12:00AM

FORTY years after seatbelts were made compulsory in cars, school buses are still being allowed to hurtle along on 110km/h highways with unrestrained children on board.

On all but 88 gazetted "steep routes" in Queensland, seatbelts are optional on school buses, including those that travel on sections of the state's most dangerous roads - the Bruce and Warrego Highways.

Cost is repeatedly cited as the major impediment to making belts in buses compulsory, despite insurers shelling out millions of dollars to people injured in bus crashes.

Since the start of 2003, the Motor Accident Insurance Commission has received 98 claims from people injured in crashes involving buses used for school activities.

Of those, 63 have been finalised at a total cost of $4.18 million.

Although buses are generally considered safer than the family car, Dr Mark King from the Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety Queensland said he believed buses travelling on highways should be fitted with seatbelts.

"Where we have exposure to high-speed routes and hazardous roads then it is more important and I think that you should have them," Dr King said.

"Especially when you have got buses that are going along on the 100km/h zones, but probably more importantly, where you have got buses that are coming from a side road and turning on to a high-speed road.

"That seems to me to be a particularly dangerous situation and we do have crashes occurring, and one just recently like that.

"Because the bus is going slow relative to the traffic on that road, you have the potential for quite a high-severity (crash)".

Margaret Leary, from the Queensland Council of Parents and Citizens Associations, said she "absolutely" agreed seatbelts should be used in any bus that carried children on a highway.

"If they are travelling along in a coach for any purpose on the highway at 110km/h then yes, we would prefer that they have seatbelts," said Ms Leary.

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Beware 'coroner logic' -- and belts on buses. Alan Davies on coronial recommendations: http://bit.ly/XtNcQA

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Brisbanetimes --> School bus seatbelts rejected despite southern move

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Why school buses don't have seat belts (01:40)

Seat belts aren't compulsory on Queensland school buses because of the "significant cost", and low injury rate, with children more likely to be hurt "after they get off the bus". 15/07/13

--> http://media.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/selections/why-school-buses-dont-have-seat-belts-4571004.html

[SurfRail]

I don't have a firm view either way on this.  Kids are much, much safer on a bus than in a car or other vehicle on the road because the rigidity of the frame protects the interior from impacts much better.  We also expect them to travel in low-floor transit buses without belts.