Should school buses have seat belts?
Nov. 11, 2012 at 5:11 a.m.
Under national law, schools are not required to install seat belts on school buses.
School buses are designed to provide extra protection for students, even without seat belts, said Catherine Howden with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Only 0.34 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities since 2000 were classified as "school transportation-related," making school buses one of the safest modes of transportation, according to statistics compiled by the safety office.
Still, from 2000-2009, 65 school-aged passengers died in fatal bus crashes, leading some to believe more should be done to keep students safe.
Some advocacy groups, parents and even students believe seat belts should be that extra layer of protection for students on school buses.