Would seat belts on school buses be safer? Could it possibly make them more dangerous? I believe that seat belts on school buses could be a safety hazard instead of protection during a crash.

An advantage to not having seat belts is in case of an emergency, such as a fire, kids could exit the bus quicker. If the bus was equipped with seat belts, the kids would have to unbuckle and it would take even more time to evacuate the bus.

Also, the installation of seat belts for Washington County buses would add $15,000 to $20,000 to the price of buses. Each bus costs $70,000. The money the county saves from not installing seat belts could go toward new books, desks and computers.

Another advantage is the bus wouldn’t be delayed. The bus driver would have to wait for a kid to get buckled before he/she could drive again.

On the other hand, there are a couple of disadvantages. In case of a wreck, such as hitting a tree or flipping, someone could have a serious head injury or a broken bone. Also, if children aren’t sitting down, the bus driver might look up to tell them to sit down and swerve off the road. The driver could easily be distracted and possibly have an accident.

All in all, I think that school buses shouldn’t be equipped with seat belts. Even though it has disadvantages, not installing seat belts would save tons of money for educational tools.

I’m a bus rider myself, so I think that expressing my opinion is important because it affects me and many other students.

BREE LAWSON

Jonesborough