Ohio school buses would have to be outfitted with safety belts under legislation introduced in the Ohio House of Representatives.
House Bill 578 would require all school buses bought, leased, or rented after January 1, 2016 be equipped with lap and shoulder safety belts for all passengers. The bill also would require school districts to adopt a disciplinary policy governing the failure of a student to wear a seat belt on a bus.
Similar legislation was introduced by Democrats in 2010 when the party controlled the House but never made it to a full vote of the chamber. The bill, which lacks Republican co-sponsors, likely faces more challenges this time around with the House and Senate in GOP hands.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has said seat belts would not do much to increase safety on school buses, which are already safer than other passenger vehicles due to their weight and seat structure. Seat belts are required in smaller buses because they more closely resemble passenger cars and trucks.
A 1987 study from the National Transportation Safety Board determined seat belts would not have prevented most of the serious injuries and fatalities from occurring in school bus crashes. But the board’s analysis of two 2012 school bus crashes concluded that safety belts can benefit passengers who wear them correctly.
Six states require school bus safety belts: California, Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York and Texas, but lack of funding has kept some states from fully implementing the law. Adding safety belts can cost between $5,485 and $7,346 per bus, according to NHTSA.
Click here to read more of this story.
About Marion Online News
