After the Chattanooga school bus accident that left six children dead, Tennessee lawmakers considered mandating seat belts in school buses. Now, a bill has been put forward that would take action on the subject. Tennessee State Representative Joanna Favors has filed a bill that would require all public school buses to have seat belts. The bill, if passed, would give school bus operators until 2023 to comply with the new law.
Another Tennessee lawmaker, Congressman Steve Cohen, filed a bill that would require all school buses in the United States to have seat belts. And a third bill, filed by Tennessee Representative David Hawk, would require school bus drivers to complete a training program before being allowed to transport kids.
DO SEAT BELTS MAKE BUSES SAFER?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has gone back and forth on the issue of seat belts on school buses. One study concluded that the expense of retrofitting buses with seat belts would not be a worthwhile trade for the safety benefits afforded by the belts. But in 2015, an NHTSA administrator came out in support of three-point seat belts for every student on school buses. The National Transportation Safety Board has also endorsed the idea of putting three-point seat belts on buses.
Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”