Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

White backs new school bus seat belt bill

Posted in:

Illinois

* I think I wrote my first story about Rep. Lang’s quest to enact a school bus seat belt law in 1990 or 1991…

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White is teaming with longtime advocate of school bus seat belts, Deputy Majority Leader Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie), as well as Transportation Committee Chairman Sen. Martin Sandoval (D-Cicero) by introducing legislation requiring 3-point seat belts on school buses. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) supports 3-point seat belts in school buses.

“Nothing is more important than the lives and safety of our children,” said White. “I served with Rep. Lang in the House and appreciate his commitment to this issue over the years. With improvements in the technology of seat belts, along with NHTSA’s recommendation, now is the time to pass legislation pushing for a significant change in protecting our children on school buses.”

In late 2015, NHTSA endorsed seat belts on school buses due in large part to improved technology with 3-point safety belts. Up until NHTSA’s endorsement, federal and state safety organizations have largely remained neutral on the issue, with expressed concerns on whether 2-point lap seat belts improved the overall safety of a child riding a school bus. However, 3-point safety belts better protect children due to their ability to diffuse the forceful and sudden movement the body sustains during a crash over the chest, waist and shoulder areas.

“While school buses are a safe form of transportation, there is no amount of safety which could ever be enough to protect our children,” Lang said. “It is time to provide that safety by making sure that kids have seatbelts on their way to and from school just as if a parent was driving them.”

Six states — California, Florida, New Jersey, New York, Louisiana and Texas — have passed laws requiring seat belts in school buses.

Illinois is a national leader in school bus safety. In order to drive a school bus in Illinois, a person must obtain a special school bus permit, which is more involved than obtaining a typical CDL. To obtain the school bus permit, an applicant must possess a valid driver’s license that has not been revoked or suspended for at least three years prior to application. In addition, they must pass written and road school bus driver permit exams and must submit to and pass an Illinois-specific FBI criminal background check. The school bus permit must be renewed each year and requires an annual refresher classroom training course. The applicant must pass an annual physical examination, which includes drug testing.

“My mission is to make Illinois roads the safest ever,” said White. “This new legislation will help us accomplish this goal.”

* The technology has changed, but the objections haven’t: Cost. The state hasn’t been willing to fund this mandate…

Depending on size, a typical new school bus can cost $75,000 to $85,000 and outfitting a single bus with seat belts can cost between $5,485 and $7,346, according to NHTSA, based on the number of seats and whether a lap belt or shoulder-and-lap belt is ordered.

* From the NHTSA…

A school-transportation-related crash is a crash that involves, either directly or indirectly, a school bus body vehicle, or a non-school bus functioning as a school bus, transporting children to or from school or school-related activities.

Since 2003 there were 348,253 fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes. Of those, 1,222 (0.35%) were classified as school-transportation-related.

Since 2003, there have been 1,353 people killed in school-transportation-related crashes—an average of 135 fatalities per year. Occupants of school transportation vehicles accounted for 8 percent of the fatalities, and nonoccupants (pedestrians, bicyclists, etc.) accounted for 21 percent of the fatalities. Most (71%) of the people who lost their lives in these crashes were occupants of other vehicles involved.

Since 2003, 119 school-age pedestrians (younger than 19) have died in school- transportation-related crashes. Sixty-five percent were struck by school buses, 5 percent by vehicles functioning as school buses, and 30 percent by other vehicles (passenger cars, light trucks and vans, large trucks, and motorcycles, etc.) involved in the crashes. There were 42 (35%) school-age pedestrians 5 to 7 years old killed in school transportation-related crashes and a similar number and percentage who were 8 to 13 years old.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Feb 14, 17 @ 12:23 pm

Comments

While I agree with seatbelts, they are pricy. So school funding reform needs to be done first.

I also think tightening up the crosswalk rules would be a benefit since many children still walk to school or bus stops. I hope that bill making it a felony to hit a pedestrian in a crosswalk makes it into law for the sake of all pedestrians, but especially children.

Comment by A Jack Tuesday, Feb 14, 17 @ 12:39 pm
I understand the merits of seatbelts and could support them as mandatory on some busses and some trips, but all busses and for all kids? Fly meet sledghammer.

Comment by KAA-boom Tuesday, Feb 14, 17 @ 1:15 pm
An unfunded mandate of “between $5,485 and $7,346″ to address about 100 deaths nationwide since 2003 (of which only 5% were caused while IN school buses) …. EQUALS misguided legislation. Those dollars would be better deployed to fund schools curriculum programs

Comment by Reformed Public Servant Tuesday, Feb 14, 17 @ 1:23 pm
There are plenty of students that don’t qualify for state-funded school transportation (many in Downstate districts, those within a certain proximity of the school, all private school students, etc.) so these students walk through rough neighborhoods or have to be driven by their parents, which is statistically proven to be less safe than traveling by school bus. So before spending all that money on seatbelts, how about putting that money towards safe and secure transportation of ALL students before enhancing the safety of those that already have it…

Comment by a mom Tuesday, Feb 14, 17 @ 1:27 pm
A better use of the money would be cameras on the “stop” arms to record cars and their license plates of drivers that ignore stopped school buses.

Comment by DuPage Tuesday, Feb 14, 17 @ 1:29 pm
And then we open the enforcement can of worms. Are we going to hold the bus drivers liable for every kid keeping a seat belt on at all times? It sounds like a good measure, but the stats don’t bear it out.

Comment by Shemp Tuesday, Feb 14, 17 @ 1:39 pm
- Reformed Public Servant -
|An unfunded mandate of “between $5,485 and $7,346″…..

I was under the impression that number was the cost to retrofit each individual bus. Some googling shows that Illinois has between 20k and 30k school buses.

That means between 110 and 220 Million dollars to retrofit them all.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Feb 14, 17 @ 1:49 pm
@ Shemp - Agreed. And add the fact we have all been told - and have state legislation in response - that 3-point belts are not safe for children under the age of 8 without the use of a booster seat…..

Comment by Unicorn Tuesday, Feb 14, 17 @ 1:54 pm
“3-point belts are not safe for children under the age of 8 without the use of a booster seat.”

While Unicorn is generally correct, school buses are a bit different. Booster seats are needed in cars because the 3-point seat belts are designed to fit adults. On school buses, the seat belts have been designed to fit children, and booster seats are not needed. For preschoolers riding on school buses, they should be in car seats with harnesses, just like they are in cars.

Comment by Child Passenger Safety Tech Tuesday, Feb 14, 17 @ 2:47 pm
How wonderful that the nanny state is alive and well.

Comment by Collinsville Kevin Tuesday, Feb 14, 17 @ 2:53 pm
It is my understanding that the 3-point seat belts will reduce the seating capacity of school buses substantially. Due to being only able to fit two in a full seat rather than three students, 71 passenger buses would be only able to accommodate 44-45 students. I would think this would also cause district to add routes and then subsequently need to buy more buses. This is after the State of Illinois hasn’t paid one transportation payment to school districts for the entire fiscal year.

The State of Illinois needs to get their financial house in order before passing more unfunded mandates.

Comment by Hawks2017 Tuesday, Feb 14, 17 @ 3:06 pm
It is my understanding that the 3-point seat belts will reduce the seating capacity of school buses substantially. Due to being only able to fit two in a full seat rather than three students, 71 passenger buses would be only able to accommodate 44-45 students. I would think this would also cause districts to add routes and then subsequently need to buy more buses. This is after the State of Illinois hasn’t paid one transportation payment to school districts for the entire fiscal year.

The State of Illinois needs to get their financial house in order before passing more unfunded mandates.

Comment by Hawks2017 Tuesday, Feb 14, 17 @ 3:07 pm
@ Child Passenger Safety Tech - Thank you for sharing your (I’m assuming here) expert knowledge! Do school bus seat belts have a safety range or ??? For example, my daughter is 6 foot and nearly 200 pounds. Will these belts be as safe for someone of her stature as her 4 foot, 60 pound 6 year old brother? (ABSOLUTELY no snark intended here. I am truly interested and if someone has legitimate facts I would love to know them!)

Comment by Unicorn Tuesday, Feb 14, 17 @ 3:07 pm
Our school is still waiting on the owed transportation funding from the state; pass a budget, before you come up with more unfunded mandates.
Roadway safety is always a balancing act between what is desired and what can be afforded.
Same for this. I have grandchildren riding buses in two different districts

Comment by downstate commissioner Tuesday, Feb 14, 17 @ 3:10 pm
Our school is still waiting on the owed transportation funding from the state; pass a budget, before you come up with more unfunded mandates.
Roadway safety is always a balancing act between what is desired and what can be afforded.
Same for this. I have grandchildren riding buses in two different districts, but would rather have the money spent on improvements to the school and curriculum than on seatbelts.

Comment by downstate commissioner Tuesday, Feb 14, 17 @ 3:12 pm
Ah another feel good bill, let’s see! No texting while driving, tinted windows are to be factory, license plate covers can’t tint or hinder vision from law enforcement, all vehicles must have front license plates, yes friends 1818 year of incorporation and still and never will get it right ! Cant enforce existing laws but ain’t it hreT to feel warm and fuzzy

Comment by Railrat Tuesday, Feb 14, 17 @ 3:12 pm
==to address about 100 deaths nationwide since 2003 ==

So it’s a cost/benefit for you. Not enough kids died so it isn’t worth it. Words fail me.

Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Feb 14, 17 @ 3:57 pm
==another feel good bill==

Protecting children from possible injury or worse in a school bus crash is “feel good?” What is wrong with some of you?

Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Feb 14, 17 @ 3:58 pm