If society believes seatbelts are desirable and necessary, then it's a grave oversight for schools not to offer our children that choice. This lifesaving habit comes to a halt every September when the school year begins, as we send our children off to school on beltless buses. The arguments against seatbelts on school buses are finally beginning to fade and the truly valid reasons for their installation are starting to surface.
Opponents say they are harmful to small children.
Opponents claim that seatbelts on school buses are not cost effective and that school districts should weigh costs vs. their school systems safety record. This negative training carries over to the family car, leaving children defenseless against their number one killer, the automobile collision. Our teens are killed in drastic numbers each year because they haven't learned the importance of wearing a seatbelt. During a crash, children become human missiles as they are thrown from their seats, into one another or into aisles, blocking quick evacuation. Opponents suggest that seatbelts are more trouble then they're worth and that children won't wear them.