Should school buses be equipped with seatbelts for every child on board?

Seatbelts should have been in school busses for the last 40 years and why they aren’t is beyond me.

Something something this generation is soft.

For what? They’ll surely die of heat exhaustion way before they get into an accident from the lack of AC

From the NHTSA:

Seat belts play an important role in keeping vehicle passengers safe, but since school buses are different by design, they have a different kind of safety restraint system.

Large school buses are heavier and distribute crash forces differently than passenger cars and light trucks. These differences help bus passengers experience much less crash force than those in passenger cars, light trucks and vans.
NHTSA decided the best way to provide crash protection to passengers of large school buses is through a concept called “compartmentalization.” This requires that the interior of large buses protect children without them needing to buckle up. Through compartmentalization, children are protected from crashes by strong, closely -spaced seats that have energy-absorbing seat backs.
Small school buses (with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less) must be equipped with lap or lap/shoulder belts at all designated seating positions. Since the sizes and weights of small school buses are closer to those of passenger cars and trucks, seat belts in those vehicles are necessary to provide occupant protection.


In the past I though I heard that injury due to fire on the bus was a more likely hazard than crash impact injuries and seat belts may inhibit the ability for a child to get out in case of a fire...IDK something along those lines

I would say no. School bus travelling is the safest mode of transportation in the nation and that is not a coincidence. The seats also absorb a lot of impact. Plus, the way they are situated allows for quickly moving upwards of 50 kids to the back exit and front exit in the case of an emergency.

I've always wondered why school buses didn't require seatbelts..

Is there an actual reason or anything noted as to why they don't have them?

Apparently, Canada doesn't require them either for the same reason as listed below. Compartmentalization..

Googled...

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School buses are equipped with a passive restraint system called compartmentalization that means that the seating area of a school bus is built with specially padded high-back, wider, thicker seats that protect students in school buses during accidents.

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Too bad that doesn't stop them from getting thrown all over the damn place...

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School bus travelling is the safest mode of transportation in the nation and that is not a coincidence.

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They are on the road only a couple hours a day and not at all for approximately 4 months, by comparison, so that is skewed, yes?

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They are on the road only a couple hours a day and not at all for approximately 4 months, by comparison, so that is skewed, yes?

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Seems people actively drive safer around school busses.. and a school bus's top speed is like 50, so they can't get in too bad of an accident...

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They are on the road only a couple hours a day and not at all for approximately 4 months, by comparison, so that is skewed, yes?

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Most vehicles are on the road less than an hour a day, so no it's not skewed. They also have dozens of passengers on board, so safety records should be by the person-mile.

I think the data says each individual child is 70 times more likely to arrive at school safety riding the bus vs. being driven to school by a parent.