There has been an ongoing debate over seat belts on buses and here I am sharing my thoughts on this and why I believe seat belts should be mandatory on buses.
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| Photo from busnews.com.au |
As soon as we get into a car we put on seat belts because the law states that it is compulsory. In Australia, we are so strict about car seat laws so why are bus laws so relaxed? Some children ask why they have wear seat belts in the car when they don’t have to wear them in buses. This is a good point.
People could be hurt on buses in so many ways because they are big and sometimes make sudden stops and movements. Passengers get in and before they sit down, the bus starts moving, causing them to trip and fall. It has happened to me a few times. I mean, I haven’t fallen in the bus but have come close. We could slide around on the seats as it turns and if the bus makes a sudden stop, we could be launched forward, hit the seat in front or even be launched out. One afternoon when I was going home in a bus, the driver put the brakes on and stopped the bus to avoid hitting a car and everyone let out screams, frightened sounds and had to hold on very tight so they wouldn't fall or anything. One woman's glasses were knocked off. I held onto the seat in front but moved forward and hit my chin on it. A few others got hurt in similar ways. We were lucky that's all that happened. It could have been a very bad accident and I think seat belts would have prevented me from getting moved like that.
Australia’s worst bus crash occurred in 1989 when two coaches full of people collided on the Pacific Highway, 12 Kilometres north of Kempsey, New South Wales. 35 people died, including both bus drivers, and 41 people were injured. These people might still be alive today if they had been wearing seat belts. The coroner suggested looking into fitting coaches with seat belts and I don't know what happened after that but every coach I have travelled in for school camps and holidays had them which is great. Maybe all coaches do have them but it has been 31 years since this horrific crash and nothing has been done about other buses, mostly because of the cost. I read about another tragic bus crash which occurred in 2018, killing 16 young people and injuring 13 others. That bus had lap belts and I wonder if more of those passengers could have been saved if they had been wearing them. Last year, a bus transporting 30 high-school students to school in Ohio was hit by a driver who had run a red light and flipped on it's side. A video taken inside the bus shows students getting thrown into the ceiling and trapped between the seats. Nobody was killed and the injuries some passengers sustained were minor and not life-threatening but the video is concerning and what happened to the bus driver who had a seat belt and the students who did not, demonstrates the need.
While there are always risks when travelling in any vehicle, with or without seat belts, they provide safety to everyone, keep us in place during impacts and reduce the probability of severe injuries and death. They improve children's behavior too and help the driver to concentrate better.
There was a very slow move to fit regional buses with seat belts and between 2007 and 2014, funding was provided for 412 regional school buses to be fitted with belts.This is a good start, but why only regional buses? Our city buses which carry school children, students, people going to work, and hundreds of people everyday should have them too. All buses should have been fitted with seat belts from the very beginning. As mentioned earlier, it's because of the cost. There isn't enough funding which is sad. Putting money towards something that could save lives is very important. Some argue that buses are designed to be safe without seat belts, but without them, buses are unsafe in rollovers and side-crashes.
Some complain that they are not able to lie down, sleep and do fun things on long bus rides when they wear seat belts but I think you can still do whatever you like with them on. You can wear a seat belt and enjoy a relaxed, fun and exciting atmosphere. Sleeping may be uncomfortable because the belt feels tight and can leave marks on you but you will be safe. Seat belt tans and marks will disappear!
We hear about accidents on the roads everyday on the news. When images of devastating crash scenes, injured passengers, grieving and heartbroken families appear on your screen, doesn't it touch your heart and make you feel for them and want to do something to prevent accidents happening again? Imagine if you were one of those people.
In my opinion, I think shoulder harness seat belts are better then lap belts.
No matter what type of vehicle I am travelling in, if it has a seat belt, I put it on. Buses should have seat belts and the drivers and transport authorities should enforce the wearing of those seat belts. I hope the Government and the right authorities start working on this soon and that buses of all types and all around the world will have seat belts at some point.
Whenever you get on a bus with seat belts, please fasten it, even if no one else does. You are doing the right thing. Buckle up for your loved ones and save lives! Stay safe!
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