How to make a safe school bus

The federal government will release new rules today requiring seat belts for smaller school buses and higher seat backs for larger buses. What it comes down to is the government regulations requiring belts in every bus would cost $100 million annually and save one life per year.

School buses are safe. Can they be made safer? Yes, but you need to realize that riding a school bus is the safest way to get to school. Much safer than driving a car, riding a bike or walking to school.

High-profile bus crashes result in citizens screaming “do something!” If we want to save every life – which we can not do – why not spend more and more dollars to do so? I hate to put this in business terms, but you need to see a return on your investment.

What it comes down to is that if the government is going require that bus companies install belts, those costs will be passed on to the school system – higher taxes or higher tuition costs. Just another unfunded mandate.

From the Detroit News.

About 25 million U.S. children travel on 500,000 buses. School bus travel accounts for just 2 percent of all student fatalities that result from getting to and from school.

Between 1995 and 2005, about five school children died annually in bus accidents, for a fatality rate of 0.1 per 100 million miles traveled. By comparison, the fatality rate for school kids killed on bicycles is 12.2 per 100 million miles and for children who walk to school, 8.7 per 100 million miles.

Banning riding bikes or walking to school would cost less and save more lives – but that does not “feel” as good.