Bus driver Gayle Burke drops off his bus after dropping off students.
Tom Smart, Tom Smart, Deseret News
Responding to Barbara Jenkins' letter about seat belts for buses ("School buses don't meet seat belt standard," Readers' Forum, July 21):
National safety records show that buses are statistically very safe, much safer than cars. Working as a school bus driver for Davis School District for 14 years, my remarks do not represent the district but are my own. Some practical issues which have occurred on a few buses where seat belts were installed are: Students injured other students by whacking the seat belts (three per seat) on each other; Students buckled the belts across the aisle causing other students to trip; Re-buckling is very difficult (especially for the younger children) because belt sizes are constantly changing as students representing grades K–6 move around to alleviate crowding when students exit at their stops.
There is no practical way that I, as the driver and only adult on the school bus, can take responsibility for up to 84 elementary students and 56 secondary students remaining buckled throughout the drive home. Children's safety is our chief concern in school transportation. Seat belts would present another hazard to school children and my ability to be a safe bus driver.
Denise Nelson
North Salt Lake
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You know, I really learned something from this. When the previous writer suggested that school buses should have seat belts, I thought, "sure, that makes sense." But now someone with experience in the field writes and points out why that More..
As a participant in a few vehicle crashes and one school bus crash that saw our bus on it's side in a ditch in the end, I can attest that seatbelts are a great idea. It's amazing how violently things, and people, fly around in a crash. To More..