If you are a driver or passenger in a car in Colorado, you can be issued a ticket for not wearing a seat belt. In fact, bus accident and/or truck accident lawyers routinely handle cases that include seat belt tickets. Colorado has some effective means for catching those who do not use seat belts. There is a secondary enforcement law for adult drivers and front-seat passengers, where a driver can be given a ticket for seat belt law violation if they are stopped for another traffic violation. The “Click It or Ticket” program focuses on speeding and aggressive drivers. Drivers who are stopped for a traffic violation and are not using a seat belt will receive a ticket.
With all of the attention paid to car seat belts, why do school buses remain essentially beltless? Numerous experts cite the inherent safety of the structure of school buses in obviating the need for passenger seat belts. The NHTSA ranks school buses as one of the safest modes of transportation. Despite this, on average, 6 children are killed per year in school bus accidents. No one wants to play the odds with the safety and welfare of their children. In almost every other conceivable vehicle, vehicles that are equipped with numerous safety features, from air bags to anti-lock brakes, we are by law required to buckle up. Even the driver’s seat in a school bus is usually equipped with a seat belt. Why is this not required for passengers in school buses?
Many people have been involved in a car accident in Denver. Fortunately, few have been involved in a bus accident. But, bus accidents do happen. When a school bus is involved in a collision, buses are designed so that the closely spaced seats and padding will keep passengers “compartmentalized” to reduce their injuries. Additionally, since buses sit much higher than most other vehicles, the chance of injury is supposedly further decreased. However, it would seem that this safety “feature” would not be very effective should the bus be part of a truck accident. Lawyers have seen the devastating effect of such crashes. But even in less severe conditions, videos of what occurs inside a bus in a crash, despite statements that padding absorbs much of the impact, still look scarily violent.
Cost concerns lead the list of reasons why passenger safety restraints are not installed on school buses. Additionally, there are concerns that incorrect use of restraints could actually cause more severe injuries to children were an accident to occur. School buses are very safe vehicles, but perhaps they can be made even safer so that children are better protected. Injuries to school bus riders do occur, and the resulting injuries and anguish can be devastating. Parents should educate themselves about how safe school buses are, and those people who are involved in any kind of bus and car accident in Denver should take steps to ensure that their rights are protected by contacting an attorney.
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